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Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has pledged to help Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to build a port and a desalination plant for drinking water, offering Malta’s expertise for basic facilities as a way of easing tensions in the Middle East.
Speaking to journalists after meeting US President George W. Bush at the White House last Monday, Gonzi referred to talks he held with US officials about Malta’s proposal to help the Palestinians as part of an international effort to solve the Israeli-Palestinian problem.
“Tensions in the region are unlikely to subside as a real, serious problem remains unaddressed – provision of a reliable water supply to a territory that has none,” Gonzi said at a National Press Club speech, without elaborating.
He said Malta once faced serious water shortages and has developed technology to desalinate seawater that it is willing to share with the Palestinians.
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