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By Hadi Fornaji.
Tripoli, 20 October 2014:
Prime Minister Abdullah Thinni and members of his cabinet arrived in Malta this afternoon to a . . .[restrict]welcome characterised by unusually high security. The prime minister and his colleagues were whisked off from Luqa Airport with officials refusing to confirm that they would be staying at the five-star Phoenicia Hotel, the usual host for foreign dignitaries.
Thinni had travelled by Bombardier private jet with a 15-strong party which included Second Deputy Premier and Utilities Minister Abdulsalam Al-Badri, Foreign Minister Mohamed Al-Dairi, Economy and Industry Minister Muneer Ali Asr and Minister of Education and Higher Education Fathi Al-Majbri. The Libyan premier also arrived with top aides including his chief of staff.
Maltese officials have given few details of the visit. The agenda when this senior Libyan cabinet team meets Maltese premier Joseph Muscat tomorrow is also unclear. It is being said variously that the visit will last between 48 and 72 hours.
In the view of one analyst it seems unlikely that discussions will focus exclusively on the usual protests of bilateral cooperation. It seems probable that Thinni, who requested the visit, will be pressing EU-member Malta to take the lead in pressing his government’s case in Brussels.
It is not being ruled out that other interested parties, including the UNSMIL chief Bernardino Leon and EU Foreign Affairs High Representative Catherine Ashton perhaps with her successor, current Italian foreign minister Federica Mogherini could also be present. [/restrict]
