Libya taking part in EuroMed summit

Foreign Minister Michael Frendo is today taking part in an important EuroMed summit at The Hague which marks the beginning of Libya's re-integration into the EU's Mediterranean process, better known as the Barcelona process.

Libya was invited as a special guest of the EU Dutch presidency.

Malta has been insisting on the need to start re-integrating Libya into the Barcelona process for a long time. The topic was discussed during recent high-level talks in Libya between Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Dr Frendo also stressed the issue during a recent meeting of EU foreign ministers.

Sources close to the Dutch presidency told The Times that the summit would provide a new opportunity to discuss the EU's relations with Libya.

The sources said the EU noted that the obstacles of accepting Libya back into the fold had almost been overcome, but that Libya now had to formally declare allegiance to the principles underlying EuroMed collaboration and settle the remaining disputes.

Last week, Commission president José Maria Durao Barroso told reporters that he had contacted Tripoli, via member states, to find a solution to the problem of the Bulgarian nurses imprisoned in Libya, noting that this issue would determine the EU's relations with Libya in the future.

It is yet not clear to which states Mr Barroso was referring.

International sanctions against Libya have recently been lifted as the country opened its doors to international scrutiny. More and more politicians are now visiting the country. Last June the EU Council formally requested the launch of talks on controlling Libya's coastline to prevent illegal immigration to the EU.

During a visit to Tripoli last week by French President Jacques Chirac, Colonel Gaddafi made encouraging signs regarding Libya joining the EuroMed process. He said that several questions remained, noting that Libya was not sure whether it was a question of economic cooperation, development, the environment, making the Mediterranean a lake of peace, or whether it was a new wave of peaceful colonialism.

He said that Libya joining the Barcelona process was still a matter of discussion, and Libyans had to be able to see the benefits of joining.