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THE COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY said that the Prime Minister of Malta,
forces.
Dr. Borg Olivier, in discussion the previous day with our High Commissioner in
Malta, had said that he regarded the United Kingdon-Malta Defence Agreement as having lapsed as a consequence of the new programme for the reduction of cur
Our clear understanding, however, of the outcome of the talks was
that the Maltese Government reserved their right to reopen negotiations with us
only if our estimate of the resulting unemployment proved wrong.
Without a
Defence Agreement, our troops would remain in Malta only on sufferance and would have no legal status; nor would the Finance Agreement any longer apply.
Dr. Olivier had apparently taken this line as a reaction to pressure by the
Opposition in Malta. Our High Commissioner had been instructed not to regard
Dr. Olivier's statement as representing the considered view of the Maltese
Government, but clearly if the Maltese persisted in this view we should have to
reconsider our position, since it would not be acceptable to us to retain
forces in Malta on this basis.
The Committee
Took note of the Commonwealth Secretary's statement.
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