Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/193056
News maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 16 OCTOBER 2013 Malta and Israel sign health, medical sciences action plan JURGEN BALZAN AN action plan between Malta and Israel in health and medical sciences was signed in Jerusalem, Israel. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who is heading a delegation to Israel and Palestine, yesterday met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanjahu at Beith Aghion. The prime ministers highlighted the need for increased cooperation between the two countries and agreed that further collaboration in health, energy, agriculture and tourism should be reached. The signed action plan includes cooperation in quality of health services delivery, health care financing, priority of national health programmes and exchange of information at international conferences, meetings and other events which would be held in either country. Malta and Israel agreed to exchange medical experts in various branches and Muscat also said that Health Minister Godfrey Farrugia would be visiting Israel to strengthen the collaboration between the two countries. Describing Israel's healthcare system as "world class", Muscat said that the action plan agreed upon by the two countries should lead to a framework to implement the plan in the health sector and beyond. Welcoming the agreement, Muscat said the collaboration would also focus on specialised cases such as cancer treatment. "It is with satisfaction that we have signed an action plan with Israel, which is known for its worldclass health service, and we will be collaborating with Israel on Survivors claim the Tunisian rescued from the sea after their boat capsized was not the same Tunisian steering their boat Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who is heading a delegation to Israel and Palestine, yesterday met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanjahu at Beith Aghion (Photo: Clifton Grech/DOI) specialised cases like cancer treatment," the prime minister said. "We are committed to this action plan and we have the political will to take it further and implement the necessary framework to achieve our objectives." Muscat is the first Maltese Prime Minister to visit Israel. Describing it as "well overdue", Muscat said he was very proud to be the first Maltese prime minister to visit Israel. "We are deeply committed to strengthen Malta's relations with Israel and collaborate together on the key areas relating to both countries," he added. On his part, Netanyahu highlighted Malta's strategic geographical position and while expressing his optimism that the bilateral relations with Malta would improve Tunisian helming migrants boat believed to have perished SOURCES at the police immiin a number of sectors, the Israeli prime minister said that Malta also has an important role to play in the peace process. Muscat reiterated Malta's position in favour of a two-state solution, which would see the creation of a Palestinian state besides Israel. However, there was no mention of the controversial Israeli settlements in the occupied territories and which Palestine and the international community deem to be illegal. In reference to last week's tragedy in which at least 30 migrants lost their lives while trying to reach Europe by sea, Muscat said that Malta acted "immediately" and could not look on as the tragedy unfolded. Noting that the majority of persons involved in the in- cident were Syrian and Palestinian nationals, Muscat highlighted the importance of achieving peace in the troubled Middle East region. It is expected that Muscat will discuss the Palestinian situation in the coming days during the scheduled meetings with the Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in Ramallah and the meeting the Prime Minister will have with representatives of the Quartet involved in mediating the peace process in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Muscat is accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister George Vella, Tourism Minister Karmenu Vella, MP Charles Buhagiar, Maltese ambassador to Israel Simon Pullicino and Joe Mifsud, formerly Labour Party international secretary. gration section denied claims issued by news agency ANSA over the weekend claiming Maltese authorities had arrested a suspect involved in the Lampedusa tragedy. On Saturday night ANSA Desk issued a statement reading: "The Maltese authorities would be holding a Tunisian national suspected to be the 'smuggler' of the new boat wreck which took place yesterday in the Strait of Sicily. According to reports gathered in Valletta, the man would have been identified by many of the 146 survivors transferred to Malta and are testifying to the authorities." However, sources close to the investigation surrounding the tragic incident confirmed to MaltaToday that the news was fake. "Whoever leaked the news to ANSA was not aware of the full facts," the source held. When the 144 survivors disembarked from AFM Patrol Vessel P61 at Haywharf, they were taken to the Immigration Section at the Police HQ where they were interviewed. A Tunisian national was amongst the survivors. During their interviews with immigration officers, a number of survivors claimed a Tunisian national was at the helm of the boat, but none of them identified him as the Tunisian who was with them on the P61. Furthermore, a few survivors argued that while it was true a Tunisian captain was steering the boat, they had personally seen him drowning when the boat sank, with one survivor telling the police he had witnessed the Tunisian drowning moments after the incident. Other survivors could not confirm the whereabouts of the Tunisian captain, saying that unless he was taken by the Italian authorities, he must have perished. A boat laden with over 250 migrants capsized off Lampedusa when those on board moved to one side of the boat in a bid to attract the attention of a rescue helicopter. Maltese and Italian rescue vessels managed to save 221 people and recovered 34 bodies from the sea. The authorities did not rule out the possibility of other migrants having drowned and their bodies not recovered.