Lawrence Gonzi defends position not to host military base

“We have one airport, it’s an international airport; we have no military airport and there is a military base a few miles away in Sicily. Also, my priority as Prime Minister is the security of the country,” Gonzi told The Sunday Times.

In view of the developments unfolding in Libya, government has consistently cited the neutrality clause in the Constitution, which expressly states that no foreign military base will be permitted on Maltese territory.

However, the Constitution also states that military facilities may be permitted in case of self-defence or following measures of actions decided by the United Nations Security Council, the latter of which was sanctioned on Thursday.

As allied forces yesterday took first military action to enforce UN Resolution 1973, which aims to maintain a no-fly zone and protect civilians, the Maltese government reportedly came under criticism for not allowing military aircraft to settle at the Malta International airport to launch attacks against Libya.

“There’s a military airport just a few minutes away from us and I don’t see the need for Malta to be used…but I leave all options open,” Gonzi replied when asked whether he was prepared to rule out Malta’s hosting as a military base in the future.

Gonzi meanwhile criticised foreign reports suggesting that Malta was taking a back seat in the Libya crisis. “We took a rigid stand from the outset. We made it clear to the Libyan authorities that the regime was unsustainable and the end Gaddafi is inevitable,” he said.

In an interview with Al Jazeera’s David Frost yesterday, Gonzi said “Malta appeals to Gaddafi and to the regime to stop the violence immediately and to stop the loss of life. We need to get the region settled, and we need to give the people what they deserve."