Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1515804
2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 11 FEBRUARY 2024 NEWS RED SEA MISSION 'Aim is to protect commercial shipping' CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 This will not be the first time that Maltese military personnel will join an EU maritime mission in the region. In the past, an army contingent had been embedded on a Dutch warship off the Somali coast to deter piracy. Commenting on the Red Sea mis- sion, the ministry spokesperson un- derscored the operation's aim to pro- tect commercial shipping. "It also aims to safeguard the rights and freedoms of navigation through the Red Sea/Bab al-Mandib Strait in full respect of international law," she said. The maritime operation was agreed at an informal meeting of the EU's Foreign Affairs Council on 31 January with HIGH Representative Josep Bor- rell saying the operation could deploy by 19 February. Borrell had said the nature of the EU operation in the Red Sea was de- fensive to protect merchant shipping from attacks perpetrated by Houthi rebels based in Yemen. The EU will not participate in US and UK attacks on the Houthis inside Yemen. The Houthi militia started attack- ing merchant ships passing through the narrow Bab al-Mandib Strait last November as a sign of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The attacks have disrupted shipping with some commercial carriers taking the long route around the southern tip of Africa rather than passing through the Red Sea and onto the Suez Canal. The EU operation is named after the Ancient Greek word for "shield". "It is a shield in order to act in purely defensive mode to protect merchant vessels, and two non-executive tasks of 'accompanying' to deter with [its] presence and to strengthen maritime situational awareness," Borrell had said. The mission will be deployed at sea, with ships and air assets and accord- ing to the Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, the force commander will be Italian. Crosetto said last week that Greece would probably take overall command of the mission, to be headquartered in the city of Larissa, although no formal announcement has been made. Borrell had said EU member states were "strongly committed" to the mis- sion and although not all will partici- pate no one is going to obstruct it. MALTA GOVERNMENT STOCK FOR SAFE INVESTMENT AND LIQUIDITY WITH INTEREST PAID UP TO THE DAY OF RE-SALE OF STOCK ◆ SECURITY ◆ CONTINUOUS LIQUIDITY ◆ INTEREST EVERY SIX MONTHS ◆ (The value of the investment may go up or down during the tenor of the Stock.) Treasury Department, Development House, Level 2-3, St. Anne Street – Floriana, Malta Tel: 2596 7125 Secure Investment Issue of €270,000,000 in Fixed Rate Malta Government Stocks MALTA GOVERNMENT STOCKS STOCK TAL-GVERN ________ The price for each Stock in (i) and (ii) above, offered for subscription by members of the public shall be established on Thursday the 15 th of February 2024, based indicatively on the prevailing secondary market prices, and shall be announced through a Press Release issued by the Department of Information (DOI). (i) 3.15% Malta Government Stock (VII) maturing in 2027; and (ii) 3.35% Malta Government Stock (V) maturing in 2029. Fixed Rate Malta Government Stocks Applications from members of the public for an amount up to a maximum of €499,900 per person in any one or in each of the two stocks on offer open on Monday the 19 th of February 2024 at 8.30 a.m. and close at 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday the 21 st of February 2024. Applications from wholesale investors in the form of sealed bids (auction) open at 8.30 a.m. on Friday the 23 rd of February 2024 and close on the same day at noon (CET), or earlier at the discretion of the Accountant General. The application forms may be obtained from, and lodged at, all Members of the Malta Stock Exchange and other authorized Investment Service Providers on the indicated dates. Application forms may also be downloaded from the Treasury's website at www.treasury.gov.mt with effect from Friday the 16 th February 2024. Bids on the prescribed forms are to be transmitted by e-mail at the e-mail addresses indicated on the application forms. The Accountant General announces the issue of €270,000,000 Malta Government Stock in either or each of the following two stocks: The sum of money to be raised may be increased further up by a maximum of €130,000,000 in the event of oversubscription.