Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1297549
2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 11 OCTOBER 2020 NEWS Delivery fee of just €1 per day for orders up to 5 newspapers per address To subscribe 1. Email us your choice of newspapers, recipient's name, address, contact number to production @millermalta.com 2. Forward cheques payable to Miller Distributors Ltd on address: Miller House, Airport Way, Tarxien Road, Luqa LQA1814 Queries on other news- papers and magazines, production@ millermalta.com maltatoday Same-day delivery of your favourite Sunday newspaper Monday-Friday Monday-Friday MaltaToday Midweek • €1 €1 BusinessToday • €1.50 Sunday Sunday MaltaToday • €1.95 ILLUM • €1.25 Support your favourite newspaper with a subscription https://bit.ly/2X9csmr KURT SANSONE MALTA and the United States "mutually agreed" to drop discussions on privileged status for American soldiers following a public uproar, a senior government source said. "There are no discussions underway. Both sides agreed that after the uproar caused by media reports it was best to drop the dis- cussions," the source told MaltaToday. The Labour administration received flak after media reports suggested that minis- ters had approved a SOFA agreement un- der pressure to curry America's support on the Moneyval test. MaltaToday first reported in July that Malta had edged closer to a deal on the Status of Forces Agreement with the Unit- ed States, and in September, revealed con- fidential Prime Minister Robert Abela denied the link between SOFA and Moneyval but never confirmed that Cabinet had actually agreed on a proposal. "There was mutual agreement with the US to put SOFA on the backburner as it has been for all these years and concentrate on bilateral relations, which remain very good," the source said. Former prime minister Alfred Sant and former president and Labour heavyweight Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca both came out against a SOFA. The US has for two decades sought a Status of Forces Agreement with Malta to outline the privileges and status of military personnel while in Malta. Intermittent dis- cussions between the US and various ad- ministrations never led to closure. Talks picked up again over the summer months with Malta reportedly having put forward its proposals that included reser- vations on criminal jurisdiction of Ameri- can military personnel. But uproar ensued when various media reports quoting multiple sources close to government indicated a link between SO- FA talks and American support for Malta's bid to pass the Moneyval test. The US carries clout on the Financial Ac- tion Task Force, the international umbrella organisation that includes Moneyval. NATO PfP SOFA The source said the talks that were taking place concerned a SOFA agreement under the NATO Partnership for Peace frame- work, which would have covered all par- ticipating countries. Malta joined the PfP programme in 2008. "Malta was proposing reservations over criminal jurisdiction. Ironically, Mal- ta adopted a status of forces agreement when it joined the EU and no reservations were included back then. This means that an Italian, French or Dutch frigate can come to Malta and the military personnel on board will benefit from special status. Through a NATO PfP SOFA the special status would have been extended to other countries such as the US and Turkey," the source said. Upon accession to the EU in 2004, Mal- ta had to adopt the EU SOFA, which lays down details on how military and civilian staff under military command should be treated by the respective member states. It also covers issues of criminal jurisdic- tion, tax benefits, the carriage of arms and settlement of disputes. Malta made no dec- larations or reservations to the EU SOFA arrangement. US Defence Secretary Mark Esper was in Malta on 30 September for high-level talks with Abela that also included SOFA on the agenda. But in the wake of the anti-American sen- timent provoked by revelations of the se- cret talks, SOFA has now been shelved and a visit to Castille by the American Chargé d'Affaires Wendy Green last week was played down by our source. "The visit was part of regular visits that diplomats have with the Office of the Prime Minister to discuss matters of mutual in- terest and had nothing to do with SOFA," MaltaToday was told. China and Russia concerns In an opinion piece appearing today, Green lifts the lid on issues the US Defence Secretary raised with government during his Malta visit (MT2, page 13). She does not talk about SOFA but speaks of American concerns about Chinese and Russian attempts to increase their influ- ence in the region, including in Malta. Green says the US is concerned about "China's debt trap diplomacy, opaque fi- nancing practices, poor governance, and disregard for internationally-accepted norms and standards", issues that are of significance for Malta given China's strong presence in the country's energy sector. SOFA talks with US back on backburner In the wake of the anti-American sentiment provoked by revelations of the secret talks, SOFA has now been shelved and a visit to Castille by the American Chargé d'Affaires Gwendolyn 'Wendy' Green, pictured here entering Castille with PM's head of secretariat Clyde Caruana last week, was played down MT2 PAGE 13 US Chargé d'Affaires Gwendolyn Green on Malta-US relations