VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The European Parliament President Roberta Metsola came out criticizing the Maltese government of not doing enough to protect Maltàs interests at European Union level on issues that disproportionately impact the country.

Roberta Metsola accused the Labour government that has allowed EU rules to be greenlighted without realising the harm they would inflict on Malta.

While speaking at the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Metsola declared, “in some cases the government even fails to present a position on an EU level”.

“EU treaties allow countries to put on an ‘emergency break’ when EU law disproportionately harms a member state, yet Malta is failing to do so,” she said, adding, “in the past five years, we have lost our self-confidence as Malta. We need to be able to say this (a particular policy) is going to harm us and we don’t have to be afraid to say it. We have particular characteristics and particular disadvantages from a logistical perspective.”

Metsola also called on the Maltese government to nominate an EU Commissioner as soon as possible. Former Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne, who was Maltàs European Commission nominee, backed out of the role after he was charged before court over the fraudulent deal of the privatization of three state hospitals. Metsola said countries are already lobbying for portfolios in the commission, and Malta is out of that discussion for the moment. “Make no mistake, if we wait any more time, we will not have an effective enough portfolio,” she said. A country’s commissioner is not only responsible for a portfolio on an EU level but is also the member statès ambassador – alerting their government whenever their state is impacted by an EU law, Metsola said.

Malta will go to the polls on June 8 to elect six euro-parliamentarians.

– Photo Chamber of Commerce of Malta –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Embassy of Malta in Libya inaugurated a new visa application centre in Misrata, in partnership with VFS Global. In his opening remarks, the Maltese Ambassador, Charles Saliba, highlighted the role played by the Embassy to facilitate commercial and social exchanges between Libya and Malta in order to build ever closer bilateral relations as well as shape a positive narrative regarding the situation in Libya. Ambassador Saliba recalled that just as Malta was the first European Union Member State to introduce direct flights between Malta and Libya, it was again taking the initiative as the first member of the Schengen area to open a visa application office in Misrata in order to facilitate the submission of visa applications for the communities in Misrata and neighboring cities. The Malta-based, MedSky Airlines started flights between Misrata and Malta in May 2022, and added flights between Malta and Tripoli on 2 February 2023. “Misrata is considered as a major hub for business activities, as well as a maritime hub with its port and Freezone area and air link with a newly built airport,” the Embassy said.
(ITALPRESS).

– Photo: Ambasciata Maltese a Tripoli –

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (MNA/ITALPRESS) – The migrant rescue charities Sea-Eye and Alarm Phone has rescued some 100 people at sea over the last days, after contacting rescue coordination centres of the boats in distress. However, the Italian authorities has ordered the boat Sea-Eye 4, which rescued 51 people on board a rubber boat in distress on 29 May following a 2am distress call in Malta’s SAR region, to take them to a port in Genoa in the north of the country, rather than assign a southern port. Dr Daniela Klein, on-board doctor on the Sea-Eye 4 for the NGO German Doctors, said most of the rescued people were very exhausted, hypothermic and suffering from seasickness. “Now their condition has improved significantly and all those rescued are at least physically stable and in relatively good condition,” she said. Head of mission Julie Schweickert said: “We expect to arrive there on Sunday – that’s almost four days spent sailing to a distant port. Although there are enough ports of safety in the south of Italy, able to receive people on the move and provide the right services to them, we have to leave the search and rescue zone and cannot respond to further emergencies”. The Italian authorities repeatedly assign harbours with long journey times to civilian sea rescue vessels. Meanwhile, the NGO Alarm Phone confirmed that it is in contact with a group of 65 migrants in distress in the Central Mediterranean. The migrants who fled from Libya, say they have been at sea for more than 24 hours. Alarm Phone said that all authorities are alerted, and urged immediate rescue without delay.(ITALPRESS).

Foto: Sea Eye 4

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The police in Malta has arrested a 19-year-old man on suspicions of having placed a homemade bomb outside the Labour Party’s headquarters on Thursday. The explosive device was found inside a waste bin outside of the building.
The suspect was identified through CCTV footage, with sources saying that police had received reports of the man “acting oddly” in various other places on Thursday. He was wearing the same clothes as the person spotted on CCTV outside Labour Headquarters.
The Police confirmed that the suspect had been arrested from a site in Triq Guze Pace in Sta Venera. Explosive material was also found and the residents of the apartment block on top of it were evacuated from their homes as a precaution.
The material found in the garage is known as TATP, a volatile explosive that is also called ‘mother of Satan’. It is often used in terrorist attacks as it is potent and can be made out of household supplies.
Residents who spent the night out of their homes are expected to be able to return there later this morning.
An explosives team was called on Thursday after the building’s security officials spotted what was described as a “small device” outside the Labour Party’s headquarters.
Neighbours also reported hearing a “small explosion” coming from a dust bin very early on Thursday morning. No one was injured in the incident but the building was evacuated while a police investigation was conducted.
The building was given the all-clear for people to return by 1pm yesterday.
The situation in Malta at the moment is quite tense after criminal proceedings started this week against former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, former Ministers Konrad Mizzi, Chris Fearne and Edward Scicluna, and against former Chief of Staff Keith Schembri All of them, together with others, are facing serious criminal charges in relation to the fraudulent agreement for the privatization of three public hospitals.
Malta will vote for the next EP and local council elections on June, 8.
-photo Agenzia Fotogramma –
(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews

MILAN (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Following the visit of the San Donato Group and GKSD in Iraq, the Iraqi Minister of Health, Saleh Mahdi Al-Hasnaw, participated in two meetings with the leadership of GSD, at the Galeazzi-Sant’Ambrogio Hospital and the San Raffaele Hospital.
During the meeting, the Iraqi Minister announced the signing of the agreement for the public-private partnership management of the new large hospital in Basra, the Sayyab Teaching Hospital.
This second agreement follows the one concerning the management of the Najaf hospital, signed three months ago and is part of the strategy of the Government of Iraq to involve international private players who can collaborate with public institutions, bringing innovation and development of state-of-the-art health models.
The agreement was signed in Baghdad last week in the presence of the Iraqi Minister of Health, Saleh Mahdi Al-Hasnaw and the vice president of the San Donato Group, Kamel Ghribi, Francesco Galli, President of the GSD Strategy & Operations Committee and the Director General of Health of the Basra Region, Abbas Khalaf Al-Tamimi.
The University Teaching Centre, the Basra Hospital with 492 beds, 18 operating theatres, intensive care and emergency room and all the most important medical and surgical specialties.
Also thanks to its now extensive network of international hospitals, the San Donato Group will guarantee two years of management, with an option of another year that can be renewed, the continuous presence of 20 head departments, as well as specific visiting doctors and training programs for local doctors and nurses.
With this second contract, the San Donato Group expands and strengthens its business in Iraq, reaching nearly 1,000 beds and a turnover of over $160 million, presiding two of Iraq’s most important regions.
“This contract confirms our firm desire to invest in quality and innovation in this country’s health system, making the know-how of our doctors available to the entire population. It also testifies to our constant commitment to consolidating relations between Italy and Iraq,” commented Kamel Ghribi, President of GKSD and Vice President of the San Donato Group .
The Minister of Health of Iraq, Saleh Mahdi Al-Hasnaw, also wanted to emphasise how much these agreements have a positive impact on the relationship between his country and Italy.
-photo GSKD

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Maltàs gross domestic product registered an increase during the first three months of 2024 compared to the same period last year, but has dipped slightly since the end of 2023. According to the National Statistics Office, the GDP grew by 4.6% during the first quarter of this year, now standing at €4.9 billion in nominal terms, or roughly €8,800 for each person in Malta. GDP calculates the value of goods and services produced by Maltàs economy, effectively measuring how well a country’s economy is performing.
While this is 8.4% (or some €380 million) higher than at the same point last year, it represents a slight dip from the previous two quarters, when it had hit the €5 billion mark. The data indicates that Maltàs economic growth is largely driven by its services industry, with financial services, real estate and professional or scientific services all recording strong growth rates over the previous year. Likewise, exports of goods and services remain a driving force of Maltàs economy, although their contribution to Maltàs economic growth has dipped compared to previous quarters.
The latest data also shows that Maltàs GDP growth remains higher than any other EU country. EU data published earlier this month shows that GDP across both the EU and the Eurozone had grown marginally by 0.4% in the first quarter of 2024, compared to the first three months of 2023. Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela posted on X that Maltàs economy had grown at twelve times the rate of that across the rest of the European bloc.
(ITALPRESS).
– Photo credit: Malta Tourism Office –

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Former Maltese Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat; his ex-chief of Staff, Keith Schembri, and former minister Konrad Mizzi, were among 28 individuals and companies, according to a Police statement, who were arraigned before a criminal court on Tuesday morning. Muscat and all the others accused pleaded not guilty. The court after hearing the submissions issued seizing and freezing orders against all individuals and companies involved.

Muscat, Mizzi, and Schembri stand accused of money laundering, bribery, and trading in influence among other charges, including criminal association. If found guilty, they face a jail term of up to 18 years and fines of up to €2.5 million.

Loyalists to Joseph Muscat have mobilized to draw a large crowd showing solidarity with the former Prime Minister accused of bribery, corruption, money laundering and illicitly profiting from a fraudulent three public hospitals concession deal.

Shouts of ‘Viva l-Lejber’ and “Joseph, Joseph,” rang out in the streets of Valletta as Joseph Muscat was given a heròs welcome by Labour supporters just before being arraigned on unprecedented corruption charges – the first time a former Maltese leader will face such criminal accusations. Joseph Muscat was flanked by his wife, Michelle, and other loyalists.

Ignoring Prime Minister Robert Abelàs calls for Labour supporters to stay home, hundreds of Muscat loyalists, some waving Labour Party flags, gathered outside the courthouse as Police were on high alert over fears tensions could boil over.

The same heròs welcome was given to Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi, all charged with bribery, corruption, and money laundering.

Speaking to journalists, Mizzi called the magistratès inquiry as full of conjecture, bias, and lies, and insisting he never received any money. He described the experts’ report in the magisterial inquiry as “unprofessional” and “biased”.

– Foto Ipa Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

TUNISIA (TUNISIA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso, as part of his official visit to Tunis, today signed a joint statement with the Minister of Communication Technologies of Tunisia, Nizar Ben Neji, aimed at promoting initiatives of economic and industrial collaboration in the field of artificial intelligence and research in the digital transition, in full coherence with the principles of the Mattei Plan that sees Tunisia as a country of priority interest for development actions.
The Italy-Tunisia agreement is aimed at facilitating direct investments and joint initiatives between companies in both countries, exploring forms of cooperation in the context of the digital transition, through the exchange of information and knowledge in the field of research, frontier technologies, and the training of new skills.
“With a focus on the digital economy and connectivity between our countries, this agreement opens a new frontier in our future cooperation,” said Minister Urso.
The joint declaration puts at the center the project to establish a hub on Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development, as foreseen by the ministerial G7 in Verona on the industry chaired by Urso himself, which will act as a catalyst for Artificial Intelligence ecosystems in the African continent, to foster important synergies to accompany digital development.
“Among the main policies of the Mattei Plan, we give great importance to the digital transition, on which we believe to consolidate the collaboration with Tunisia for the benefit of the entire Mediterranean area,” Urso said.
On the sector of the digital economy, Urso focused on the “purpose of the AI Hub, which aims to realize partnerships that allow access for African countries to the computing capacity necessary for artificial intelligence models, enhancing local infrastructures and supporting the development of skills”.
As part of the implementation of the joint statement, Urso and Ben Neji decided to form a “New Technology Development Working Group,” focused on the issues of submarine cable infrastructure for intercontinental data transmission and the development of artificial intelligence through the AI Hub.
“Tunisia has a role to play because of its geographical position, together with Italy, a key role in connectivity between Europe and Africa,” said Urso. He added: “Our country, with its own port, energy, and cable infrastructure connections with the countries on the southern shore of the Mediterranean, sees Tunisia as a fundamental partner for the development of the entire area”.

– photo Mimit –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) (ITALPRESS) – Interconnect Malta (ICM) owned by the Maltese government, has issued a prior information notice for the tender for the manufacture and installation of the submarine cable for the second electrical interconnector between Malta and Italy.
Interconnect Malta said that it is finalising the tender for the procurement of subsea cables between Malta and Italy which are estimated to cost €185 million in preparation for Maltàs second interconnector.
This project is co-financed by the European Union under the European Regional Development Funding Programme 2021-2027, with positive feedback from the Project Selection Committee. With an allocated €165 million from the ERDF, this funding will cover over half of the total investment costs estimated at €300 million.
The tender will seek the provision and installation of approximately 99 kilometers of submarine cable complete with a transition joint at each end, one at Maghtab in Malta and one at Marina di Ragusa, in Sicily, and will feature a 121-kilometre high-voltage alternating current electrical cable.
This second Malta-Sicily cable link is part of the Maltese Government’s future energy strategy for meeting the 2030 climate and energy targets and the longer-term decarbonization objectives. The start of operations is planned for the second quarter of 2026.
Energy minister Miriam Dalli noted the project’s role in meeting Maltàs climate targets and addressing the rising energy demand driven by economic growth and transport electrification. The second interconnector is set to boost Maltàs generation capacity by 200MW and support the integration of more renewable energy sources.
Additionally, Interconnect Malta has released a Prior Information Notice for the supply and installation of a 220kV switchgear, a fire suppression system, firewalls at Ragusa, and an upgrade of the control system.
This project will double Maltàs current electricity interconnection with Europe, ensuring a more secure energy supply and facilitating increased investment in renewable energy systems.
The preliminary technical requirements and subsea route of this project have been established by a front-end engineering design (FEED) study and after a preliminary marine route survey and environmental studies were commissioned.
The contractor will also be responsible for carrying out a detailed survey and engineering process to determine the final route and design of the submarine cable, its installation and protection.
The estimated date of publication of a contract notice within this procedure is July 1.
The overall interconnector cable link will be composed of a land cable in Sicily approximately 21 kilometers long, a three-core submarine cable approximately 99 kilometers, long and a 2-kilometer land cable in Malta.
The Maltese Planning Authority gave approval for the project’s development permit in January.

– Foto: Interconnect Malta –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Knowing and making known Africa, its opportunities in terms of development, but also its needs, such as health and training. This is the mission of Ecam – European Corporate Council on Africa and the Middle East. Its Secretary General, Ettore Sequi, was interviewed for Primo Piano presented by Claudio Brachino for the Italpress agency, about the developing projects in the various African countries and provide a complete picture of opportunities, the urgencies and challenges in the same continent.

A particular development carried out by Ecam, which starts from afar, will be involving the foundations of States in which situations are deep and critical from multiple perspectives but can also serve as valuable opportunities, that in Europe could be conceived as obvious or easy to access.

“Knowing Ecam means understanding what opportunities the African continent brings with it”, said Ambassador Sequi: “Ecam is a private non-profit organisation, which deals with relations between Europe, Italy and countries in the African and Gulf area. Our goal is to promote knowledge of areas that are part of East Africa and beyond, encouraging their development. All this is due to the intuition of a very successful businessman and philanthropist, Kamel Ghribi, who had this brilliant idea that he is carrying forward with commitment and success”.

He explained, “cooperation through actors such as Europe, North and Central Africa and the Gulf has a number of opportunities, from business development to health, agriculture and training. Ecam has a natural vocation to foster dialogue and knowledge, with its resources aimed at the humanitarian sector, which is essential for assisting populations often severely affected such as in Gaza”.

“From a health point of view, we have achieved important results. An important children’s heart surgery centre has been set up in Tunisia, where we have also supplied oxygen and ventilators. When there was the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria,” Sequi continued, “we sent emergency equipment, ambulances, medicines and health kits for the population”.

In fact, there are several projects in support of sectors such as health and training in African countries, all in full “interaction and cooperation” with small and medium-sized Italian companies, as well as hospitals and institutes. “In this sense,” continued Sequi, “we have developed a project that guarantees the training of young heart surgeons who in Milan learn to perform delicate operations for children with hearts created by a 3D technology. Under the direction of an Italian medical team, these young people specialise in dealing with pathologies that would be complicated to treat in the countries of origin. Again, in Còte d’Ivoire, Ecam is moving forward with a project to provide, through small and medium-sized Italian enterprises, machines and technologies for the commercialisation of cocoa”.

“Such opportunities”, highlighted the secretary general, “always go through training, and in this sense the example of the agreement with the Garibaldi institute in Rome is a good example, through which we provide scholarships to young Africans in agricultural and management of small businesses, helping to create a certain type of stability both in Italy and in Africa should these children return to their countries of origin.”

Ecam’s work, however, goes through geopolitical situations that are not easy to resolve, with effects of influence not only in the north of the continent, “but often originated from everything that happens in central Africa,” Sequi continued, while observing the constant competition brought by states like Russia and China. “These world powers are well present in Africa for the acquisition of fundamental raw materials,” said Sequi, while adding that from a military point of view the Russian presence is intense, both in the Sael and in the Mediterranean area, from Syria to Libya, to Tunisia and Sudan. He emphasized that Europe is also beginning to understand the risks of neglecting Africa. “What is happening in the Red Sea,” he concluded, “has a precise impact on small and medium-sized enterprises, which can reduce costs, insurance, in terms of fuel and timing, compared to large companies that are able to cushion any losses due to such conflicts”.

– Photo Italpress –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews