COOPERATION BETWEEN MALTA AND TUNISIA IN THE FIELD OF ENVIRONMENT

Malta and Tunisia have agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of the environment. A Joint Commission meeting for the first time in Malta between the 14 and 16 February has agreed on a programme of action in the various aspects of the environment which will be carried out during this year.

The Tunisian delegation which took part in these meetings was led by the Tunisian Ambassador to Malta H.E. Mr Abdessalem Hetira and included also Mr Mahmoud Ouanes from the Ministry of the Environment and Land Management, Mrs Aziza Hetira from the National Agency for Renewable Energy and Mr Mounir Ferchichi from the National Agency for Environment Protection.

The Maltese Ministry for the Environment was represented by Mr Paul Mifsud, Permanent Secretary, who chaired the meetings of the Commission, Mr Vincent Gauci, Acting Director of the Environment Protection Department, and Dr Helga Zahra, Policy Co-ordinator at the Ministry.

The Joint Commission was set up pursuant to the Agreement for Co-Operation in the Field of the Environment signed between the two countries in 1993. At a meeting which was held in October last year between the Maltese Minister for the Environment Dr Francis Zammit Dimech and his Tunisian counterpart Ms Faiza Kefi on the occasion of the Ministerial Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention, it was agreed that the two sides should take the initiative to put into effect the provisions of the agreement for cooperation in the environmental field. It was also agreed that as a first step in the beginning of the new year they would set up the Joint Commission to prepare the programme of action. The Joint Commission will hold annual meetings alternately in Malta and Tunisia.

As a result of the meetings of the Joint Commission it was agreed that during this year there will be an exchange of information and documentation about environmental institutions in the respective countries, the exchange of experts in the field of waste management, training for officials from both countries in the respective countries environmental institutions, the encouragement of the participation of the private sector in commercial initiatives in areas connected with the environment, the participation of officials from both countries in pollution control exercises and closer cooperation in international fora.

The Agreed Minutes of the meetings of the Joint Commission were signed today by Mr Mahmoud Ouanes for the Tunisian Ministry for the Environment and by Mr Paul Mifsud for the Maltese Ministry for the Environment.

Malta u t-Tuneżija qablu li jsaħħu l-kooperazzjoni ta' bejniethom fil-qasam ta' l-ambjent. Kummissjoni mwaqqfa bejn iż-żew' pajjiżi, li ltaqgħet għall-ewwel darba f'Malta bejn nhar it-Tnejn li għadda u l-lum, qablet dwar programmi ta' inizjattivi li għandhom jittieħdu matul din is-sena fid-diversi oqsma ambjentali.

Id-delegazzjoni Tuneżina li ħadet sehem f'dawn il-laqgħat kienet immexxija mill-Ambaxxatur Tuneżin għal Malta Adbessalem Hetira' u kienet tinkludi lil Mahmoud Ouanes, mill-Ministeru ta' l-Ambjent, Aziza Hetira mill-A'enzija Nazzjonali għall-Ener'ija li Ter'a' Tintuża, u Mounir Ferchichi mill-A'enzija Nazzjonali għall-'�arsien ta' l-Ambjent.

Għall-Ministeru għall-Ambjent Malti ħadu sehem is-Segretarju Permanenti fil-Ministeru Paul Mifsud, li ippresieda l-laqgħat tal-Kummissjoni, Vincent Gauci, A'ent Direttur tad-Dipartiment għall-'�arsien ta' l-Ambjent u Helga Zahra, Policy Co-Ordinator fil-Ministeru għall-Ambjent.

Il-Kummissjoni bejn iż-żew' pajjiżi twaqqfet bis-saħħa tal-Ftehim ta' Kooperazzjoni fil-Qasam ta' l-Ambjent li kien iffirmat bejn iż-żew' pajjiżi fl-1993.

Waqt laqgħa li saret f'Ottubru li għadda bejn il-Ministru għall-Ambjent Francis Zammit Dimech u l-Ministru għall-Ambjent tat-Tuneżija Faiza Kefi fl-okkażjoni tal-Laqgħa tal-Ministri tal-Pajjiżi Firmatarji tal-Konvenzjoni ta' Barċelona, kien 'ie deċiż li ż-żew' naħat għandhom jieħdu inizjattivi biex jagħtu bidu għal programm ta' kooperazzjoni bejniethom fil-qasam ta' l-ambjent kif previst fil-ftehim ta' kooperazzjoni. Kienu qablu wkoll li bħala l-ewwel pass, fil-bidu tas-sena l-'dida jwaqqfu l-Kummissjoni bejn iż-żew' pajjiżi biex jitħejja dan il-programm. Il-laqgħat ta' din il-Kummissjoni jsiru darba fis-sena, darba f'Malta u darb'oħra fit-Tuneżija.

B'riżultat tal-laqgħat tal-Kummissjoni ntlaħaq qbil li matul is-sena li 'ejja jkun hemm bdil ta' tagħrif u dokumentazzjoni dwar l-istituzzjonijiet ambjentali fil-pajjiżi rispettivi, bdil ta' esperti fil-qasam ta' l-immani''ar ta' l-iskart, taħri' għal uffiċjali miż-żew' pajjiżi f'istituzzjonijiet ambjentali fil-pajjiżi rispettivi, l-inkora''iment tal-parteċipazzjoni tas-settur privat f'inizjattivi kummerċjali relatati mal-qasam ambjentali, il-parteċipazzjoni ta' uffiċjali miż-żew' pajjiżi f'eżeċizzi kontra t-tni''iż kif ukoll kooperazzjoni aktar mill-qrib f'fora internazzjonali.

Il-Minuti tal-laqgħa tal-Kummissjoni kienu iffirmati llum fil-preżenza tal-Ministru għall-Ambjent Francis Zammit Dimech, mis-Sur Paul Mifsud, għall-Ministru għall-Ambjent Malti, u minn Mr Mahmoud Ouanes għall-Ministeru għall-Ambjent tat-Tuneżija.

Il-Ministru Zammit Dimech qal li Malta u t-Tuneżija huma żew' pajjiżi 'irien u ħbieb u li għandhom interessi komuni f'diversi oqsma mhux lanqas dak ambjentali. Hu awgura għal aktar ħidma u inizjattivi mill-Kummissjoni mwaqqfa bejn iż-żew' pajjiżi.

16.02.2000