Government to consider 'other alternatives' if Air Malta talks break down

Prime Minister reiterates government’s position that Brexit deal must be worse than full EU membership and that freedom of movement goes hand in hand with the single market

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat at the S&D Fresher's Week stand
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat at the S&D Fresher's Week stand

Joseph Muscat this morning said that as with all other negotiations the government enters into, should an agreement not be reached the government has a number of fall back positions that it will consider. He added that there are a number of alternatives and should it become necessary, the government will pursue these alternatives and will communicate this when it happens.

The Prime Minister made these remarks during a visit to Fresher’s Weeks at the University of Malta where he was accompanied by Education minister Evarist Bartolo and new rector Alfred Vella.

Bartolo said that the number of student organisations and student’s taking part in Fresher’s week shows that some people’s impression of university students as being uninterested simply was not true.

Muscat said that the government is committed to the success of the university as evidenced by the fact that the funds allocated to the University have increased buy Euro 15m over the past three years.

He said that the landscape within which the University existed was constantly changing and that this should be perceived as an opportunity rather than a threat. He also said that it is absolutely necessary for the University to continue evolving and growing in order to compete on an international level. Moreover, the university also needed to be quicker in reacting to the needs of industry and must be able to produce graduates with the required skills.

The Prime Minister also expressed his satisfaction at the fact that the University was becoming more multicultural, insisting that this was essential as a university could not be ‘something monolithic.’

Asked about when the LNG tanker would be arriving in Malta, Muscat said that he did not have an exact date in hand however he said that it would arrive in Malta in a matter of days.