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Israeli foreign minister in Malta next month Israel’s deputy Prime Minister and foreign affairs minister Avigdor Liberman is expected to visit Malta next month for talks covering various sectors. Speaking to MaltaToday, ambassador Gideon Meir said that both countries “have a lot to talk about” but he stressed that relations between the two sides are “good” notwithstanding last week’s incident in Gaza where Maltese national Bianca Zammit was shot and injured by an Israeli sniper while peacefully demonstrating against breaches of human rights (see Karl Schembri, page 7). While insisting that the Israeli government is investigating the incident and will report back to the Maltese government, Meir said there will be discussion on the Delimara power station contract, which has been contested by Israeli firm Bateman. “As an ambassador I have only given my input at the very initial stages of the bid, whereby in my meetings with the Maltese government I promoted an Israeli company just like all ambassadors do,” Meir said. He also steered clear of commenting on the Auditor General’s report on the on the contract. “The matter is a Maltese internal debate and neither I nor the Israeli government will not get involved.” Liberman is expected to sign an important cooperation agreement with Malta, through which Israel will be supplying Malta with forestation expertise and contribute hundreds of trees to be planted around the island. In 1999, Liberman founded the Yisrael Beiteinu Party – a party considered ultra-right by some, but which advocates giving land back to Palestine in return for land with Jewish settlements. In March 2009, he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Any comments? |
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