Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1293199
NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 30 SEPTEMBER 2020 How America military personnel The US Defence Secretary is expected in Malta today to discuss a Status of Forces Agreement with the Maltese government. KURT SANSONE reviewed two such agreements the US concluded this year and what they entail for the host countries CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 It was left to the Foreign Min- istry, 12 hours later, to deny the existence of an agreement with the US. "Malta is no closer to signing an agreement with the US or NATO than over the past years," the ministry said, reiter- ating there was no relationship between SOFA and Moneyval. But the ambiguous public po- sition adopted by Maltese gov- ernment exponents is a reflec- tion of the controversial nature of a SOFA, which grants US authorities criminal jurisdiction on deeds committed by Amer- ican military personnel in the host country. Former Labour prime minister Alfred Sant yesterday made it clear he was against a SOFA and Opposition leader Adrian Delia insisted the country should not budge an inch on its sovereign- ty. Delia said the Opposition was not consulted by the govern- ment on a possible deal with the Americans that could have con- stitutional implications. Government also received flak from leftist pressure group Graffitti that argued a SOFA would be humiliating for the country. The AD/PD alliance al- so criticised the government on the matter. Abela yesterday morning said any deal would be made public but according to former foreign minister Tonio Borg the treaty would have to be approved by parliament. Borg told MaltaToday that given the issue of criminal juris- diction touches on sovereignty issues, according to the Ratifi- cation of Treaties Act, a SOFA would require parliamentary approval. A simple majority would suf- fice but the treaty may have to be accompanied by a separate act of law that allows it to su- persede the Criminal Code in instances involving crimes com- mitted by US military personnel on Maltese territory. Additional reporting Nicole Meilak, Karl Azzopardi SOFA would need Parliament's approval