Malta says its embassy in Tripoli remains closed over critical security conditions

Abela said that, while the Foreign Ministry had been considering re-starting some form of operation, it would not risk sending a diplomatic representative to Libya unless there was some form of guaranteed security, Times of Malta has reported.

The minister, who was responding to a parliamentary question by Nationalist MP Hermann Schiavone on Monday, said the location of Malta’s embassy in Tripoli might also have to be changed once the time comes to re-open the representation.

“When it comes to re-opening, we have to determine whether we should keep the embassy in its coming place, since the area it is located in might no longer be secure,” Abela said.

Abela said that every time political progress started being made in Libya, an escalation in violence would take place which would set things back.

“Military action has led to the halting of political progress,” he said, adding that although the international community was trying to help the situation, in the end it had to be the Libyans which would resolve matters.