Fenech opens talks on oil, gas from Qatar

Finance minister Tonio Fenech has initiated talks with Qatar in a bid to secure purchasing oil and gas at competitive but advantageous rates, in the wake of increasing oil prices.

29 March 2012, 12:00am
by Karl Stagno-Navarra

1 min read

Finance minister Tonio Fenech (L) with Qatar's minister for energy and industry Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada

MaltaToday can reveal that Tonio Fenech held meetings in Doha yesterday with Qatar's minister for energy and industry Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada.

The meeting - held in the presence of Frank Galea, Malta's newly-appointed ambassador to the Gulf States - was held at the Qatar Petroleum headquarters and was also attended by senior officials of QP and Qatar Petroleum International.

Speaking in parliament hours before he departed for Doha on Tuesday, Tonio Fenech said that "government acknowledged that the important thing was to find an alternative solution to weathering this temporary spike in oil prices."

He said that government's ultimate priority was to safeguard employment, industry and businesses.