Brussels, 24/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - By initiative of the Maltese Foreign Minister, Tonio Borg, talks are believed to be underway with a view to a tripartite meeting with Libya and Italy to discuss the fight against illegal migration. Franco Frattini is believed to have accepted the invitation and Tripoli has accepted it in principle, stating that it has no objections at this point.
Relations between the three countries focus largely on this problem. On Monday, Italian coastguards intercepted six vessels off the coast of the island of Lampedusa (south of Sicily) with a total of 276 people on board, according to the regional authorities of Palermo. When asked about the influx of illegal immigrants at Lampedusa, Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni stated that Silvio Berlusconi's meeting with the Libyan leader Mouammar Gadhaffi was to take place in the near future and would be "very important". In an interview with the right wing daily newspaper Il Giornale, he said (our translation): "If the head of the government convinces him to implement the agreements, the question of landings at Lampedusa would be by and large resolved", but declined to specify to which agreements he was referring. According to Mr Maroni, "almost all illegal immigrants transit through Libya". "We are able to provide them with the technological resources to prevent immigration into their country", stated the minister. Rome and Tripoli signed an agreement in December providing for, amongst other things, joint patrols to fight against illegal immigration, but thousands of people attempting to enter the country continue to risk their life leaving the shores of Libya to come to Europe. Mr Berlusconi's visit to Libya, which is likely to take place at the end of the month, has not yet been officially confirmed. (F.B./trans.fl)