Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi last night told Col Gaddafi’s envoy, Abdul-Ati al-Obeidi that Libya must observe all UN resolutions.
Dr Gonzi also insisted on an immediate ceasefire and a process that would enable the Libyan people to make their own democratic choices.
Speaking to the media after a 45-minute meeting at the Auberge de Castille in Valletta with Mr al-Obeidi, who is the Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister, Dr Gonzi said he also told Mr al-Obeidi that the Gaddafi government must step down and his family should leave. On his part, Mr al-Obeidi explained the Libyan government’s views on the current crisis.
Asked by The Times for a comment as he left the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr Al-Obeidi replied: “Thank you very much. Good Night” and was driven off to the airport. Mr Al-Obeidi had flown in on a private Cessna jet at about 9.45 p.m.
Mr al-Obeidi, had already held meetings with his Greek and Turkish counterparts earlier yesterday.
Dr Gonzi confirmed during the day that the government had officially received the request for a meeting yesterday morning from the Libyan ambassador in Malta. The request was made a couple of hours before Italy became the second western country to recognise the Benghazi-based rebel council as Libya’s legitimate government.
Minutes after Dr Gonzi spoke to journalists following a press conference on the government’s third year in office, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini was announcing that Italy had cut all diplomatic ties with Col Gaddafi’s regime and considered the rebel authority as the sole interlocutor.
Mr Frattini said the envoy’s proposals lacked credibility and Col Gaddafi and his family’s departure from Libya was a political precondition for discussions to take place.
Dr Gonzi also expressed his regret and disgust at the violence in the Libyan town of Misurata, which is being pounded by Col Gaddafi’s forces.
“We have never said no to such requests. There were times when we spoke to the Libyan Prime Minister over the telephone and times when he visited. We see this as an opportunity for Malta to add its voice to that of the international community in asking for the atrocities to end,” Dr Gonzi said when asked whether the government was accepting the request for the meeting.
Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas said after meeting Mr al-Obeidi yesterday that the Gaddafi regime seemed to be looking for a solution.
“We reiterated the clear message of the international community,” Mr Droustas said in a statement. He cited “total compliance with and implementation of the UN resolutions, an immediate ceasefire, an end to the violence and acts of war, notably those targeting the Libyan civilian population”.