MALTA'S REACTION TO GLOBAL MARITIME PARTNERSHIP

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VALLETTA 000228

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/02/2018
TAGS: ASEC EAID ECIN ECON EFIS EWWT MARR MAS MCAP
MOPS, PHSA, PINS, PREL, SENV, SMIG, SNAR, MT
SUBJECT: MALTA'S REACTION TO GLOBAL MARITIME PARTNERSHIP
(GMP) INITIATIVE

REF: A. STATE 050488

B. VALLETTA 00134

Classified By: PolOff MCummings for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: Ambassador briefed key Maltese military and
civilian officials about GMP. The Maltese expressed
enthusiasm about the concept. Several GMP-related areas of
cooperation already exist, and the Maltese were eager to
explore further areas. Malta,s Foreign Minister said that
at an upcoming EU Ministerial in Brent, France dedicated to
maritime issues, Malta would push for regulation of shipping
routes in the Mediterranean. End Summary

Meetings at Armed Forces of Malta
--------------


2. On May 22 Ambassador met key officials at the Armed
Forces of Malta (AFM) Headquarters to explain the Global
Maritime Partnership (GMP) initiative. The Ambassador met
with the AFM Commander (CHOD) Brigadier General Carmel
Vassallo, AFM Deputy Commander Colonel Martin Xuereb, and
Director of Defense Matters in the Office of the Prime
Minister Vanessa Frazier (Comment-- Frazier has an American
husband and daughter, and is known to be very pro-US. She is
the sole GoM official, apart from the Prime Minister himself,
who oversees defense issues. Although the CHOD hails from the
left-of-center opposition Malta Labor Party (MLP),he is
exceptionally pro-US as well, and attended the Chief of Naval
Operations' presentation of the new Maritime Strategy "A
Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower" on October
17, 2007, at the Naval War College during the International
Seapower Symposium. Col. Xuereb maintains strong support from
the ruling Malta Nationalist Party and is likely to succeed
Brigadier General Vassallo as CHOD at some point.)


3. (C) The Ambassador provided her interlocutors with an
overview of GMP, and encouraged the GoM to embrace the GMP
principles. Frazier and the CHOD responded enthusiastically
to the vision and principles of the GMP, particularly with
respect to ongoing activities such as Malta's recent entry
into the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI),and Malta's
building niche reputation as a regional Search and Rescue
(SAR) training expert through the U.S. European
Command-funded SAR Training Center run by the AFM. Frazier
specifically stated that Malta was always looking for ways to
partner with the United States on maritime security issues
and initiatives. The CHOD stated that regarding security,
even small countries can bring something to the table. He was
enthusiastic about Malta's participation in current U.S.
Naval engagement initiatives such as the Maritime Safety and
Security Information System (MSSIS),and SIXTH Fleet's recent
OPERATION PHOENIX EXPRESS. The Ambassador agreed that the SAR
Training Center was an excellent example of the kind of
multilateral cooperation envisioned by GMP, with personnel
from more than a dozen regional countries studying latest SAR
techniques in Malta, many of them with USG financial support.

Meeting with Foreign Minister
--------------


4. (C) On May 30 Ambassador and DCM met Maltese Foreign
Minister Tonio Borg to brief him on GMP. Borg was likewise
enthusiastic about the opportunity for expanded cooperation.
In addition to the SARTC mentioned above, he told the
Ambassador that he had another idea that might fall under the
rubric of GMP. Malta was concerned about the possibility of
an oil spill ruining Malta,s coastline and tourism-based
economy. The fact that most oil tankers transiting the
Mediterranean passed through the narrower channel north of
Malta (between Malta and Sicily) rather than the wider
channel south of Malta (between Malta and Libya/Tunisia)
exacerbated the problem. At an EU Ministerial in Brest,
France July 12-13 at which a "Common EU Maritime Policy"
would be discussed, Malta intended to push for EU regulation
of Mediterranean shipping routes, with perhaps up to half of
shipping being directed to the south of Malta.


5. (C) For background, see the following USDAO Valletta
IIR's--

IIR 6 917 0096 08 121324Z May 08 (U) MULTINATIONAL
IMPRESSIONS OF NAVAL FORCES EUROPE'S OPERATION PHOENIX
EXPRESS 2008

IIR 6 917 0026 08 221404Z Apr 08 (U) THE EVOLVING REGIONAL
SECURITY POSTURE OF MALTA

IIR 6 917 0076 08 201412Z Mar 08 (U) MALTA APPLIES TO REJOIN

VALLETTA 00000228 002 OF 002


NATO'S PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE

IIR 6 917 0016 05 (U) BIOGRAPHIC REPORT-MALTA, CARMEL
((VASSALLO)),BRIGADIER GENERAL, COMMANDER, ARMED FORCES OF
MALTA

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