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Karl Schembri
The Maltese government is keeping a step back from concluding a ship boarding agreement with the United States that would give Americans the right to board, search and arrest people on Malta-registered ships suspected of trafficking weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).
Sources close to the Foreign Office say the US government’s procrastination on the double taxation agreement has a large say in Malta’s cold reception to Washington’s negotiations for a carte blanche on Malta-flagged vessels suspected to be carrying WMDs in international waters.
“We would clearly be happy to accelerate them (double taxation negotiations) as much as possible, although very clear progress has been registered,” Foreign Minister Michael Frendo said when contacted yesterday.
The US would like to conclude the ship boarding agreement with Malta as soon as possible as part of its wider “war on terror” agenda, providing it access to Malta’s vast fleet of registered ships around the world.
But the government has taken a wait-and-see approach in what is taken by diplomatic circles as political horse trading as the double taxation agreement remains elusive, prompting the US to drop down an original request to be able to board any Malta-registered ship without seeking Malta’s authorisation.
In fact, Malta is not objecting to the ship boarding deal in principle but is only buying time as it awaits the outcome of US negotiations with other competing flag states.
“We have gone through a negotiating process,” Frendo said about the ship boarding deal. “Clearly timing is also important in this issue in view of the conclusion of other agreements with other maritime states.”
The other most important maritime state which Malta is keeping an eye on during negotiations is the Bahamas, which so far has refrained from concluding the agreement with the US. Out of the top registry nations, the US has signed agreements with Liberia, Panama, the Marshall Islands, Croatia, Cyprus and Belize.
A spokesman for the US Embassy in Malta however downplayed Malta’s expectations for a speedy double taxation agreement and said both deals were being negotiated separately.
“Discussions are following the normal course of procedure and length of time as with other countries,” the spokesman said, adding that negotiations were “moving forward”.
The spokesman added that the ship boarding agreement would include the understanding that both sides would ask for authorisation for boarding, search and possible detention of vessels and cargo in international waters.
“Under the agreement the party would have to receive permission from the flag state to board, search and detain the vessel and its cargo,” the spokesman said. “The proposed ship boarding agreement between the US and Malta would facilitate cooperation between the two countries to prevent the maritime transfer of proliferation-related shipments by establishing points of contact and procedures to expedite requests to board and search suspect vessels in international waters.”
kschembri@mediatoday.com.mt
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