A delegation from the Armed Forces of Malta today met with the Libyan Armed Forces in Tripoli.
On arrival in Tripoli aboard an AFM Kingair aircraft, Brigadier Xuereb was met by Admiral Hassan Ali Bushnak, Chief of Staff of the Libyan Navy.
The delegation proceeded to the General Headquarters of the Libyan Armed Forces where they were welcomed by the Libyan Chief of Defence, Major General Yousif Elmangoush.
General Mangoush, who recently was in Malta for an official visit, thanked the Maltese government, Armed Forces and the Maltese citizens for the assistance given to the Libyans during the uprising against the Ghaddafi regime.
The two sides discussed various issues of mutual interest, notably the possibility of providing training for Libyan military personnel in maritime-related topics at the AFM's Maritime Safety and Security Training Centre (MSSTC).
Special focus was on Search and Rescue and on the assistance the AFM can provide in this field. Libya expressed a keen interest in having its students attending courses of various types at the MSSTC which process will likely be preceded by the sending of an AFM Mobile Training Team (MTT) to Libya.
The MTT will allow the AFM to work together to identify the most promising candidates for further in-depth training in Malta. Discussions also addressed common concerns regarding the phenomenon of illegal migration in the Central Mediterranean and cooperative measures that could be implemented to address this challenge.
The Maltese delegation also met with Deputy Prime Minister Omar Abdel Karim who also Malta for its support.
Karim also said that it was important for Libya to quickly establish professional, well-equipped and well-trained armed forces to ensure the continued protection of the Libyan People and Libyan constitution.
(Source: Malta Today)
