Letters | Sunday, 10 May 2009

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Diplomacy not for cissies

I was toying with your suggestion that I go over to Sicily rather than vote in the elections to the European Parliament, but your reference to some long forgotten Mafia dominated region of Sicily (3 May) convinced me that it was better to stay in Malta and vote.
Thank God that journalists are free to be as undiplomatic, and as politically irreverent, as they want to be, thus enabling you to express yourself as strongly as you did. However, it is unfair to conclude that diplomats and politicians who are less explosive are necessarily sissies.
I have no reason to query the accuracy of your reported telephone conversation with the Italian ambassador, and therefore, as a fellow diplomat, I find the comments of H.E. rather out of place. True facts rather than loose comments are relevant to this unfortunate dispute between Malta and Italy.
May I add another fact which may throw some light. I was present at a meeting in Madrid between the foreign ministers of Malta and Italy, Alex Sceberras Trigona and Giulio Andreotti, when the former expressed his disappointment at Italy’s demand to make representations during the case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the median line dispute between Malta and Libya. Andreotti claimed that he did not know anything about this move, and sought enlightenment from his aide, who was equally ignorant.
If this were true, then chaos reigned in the Farnesina. If not, then shame on Andreotti for evading to justify Italy’s demand which was later rejected by the ICJ.

Evarist Saliba
Tal-Ibragg

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