Malta is willing to help Palestinians in Gaza

Malta has offered to assist the Palestinians secure water supplies in the Gaza Strip through the transfer of desalination technology and also expertise for the construction of a sea port in the territory, which was recently left by the Israelis.

Malta has made the proposal at European Union level, Maltese prime minister, Lawrence Gonzi, said at a newsconference in Washington on Tuesday, the daily Times of Malta reported.

"With the appropriate international partnership, Malta would be pleased to transfer the technology to a region like Gaza, as well as assisting further technological development to suit the specific environment," Gonzi, who was in the United States on an official visit, said.

"With respect to Gaza, there are two areas where progress can really make a difference, and where Malta can offer its expertise: one of them is the provision of drinking water, and the other is the provision of a sea port where we can provide our expertise," he added.

Gonzi said that over the years Malta had acquired considerable experience in water desalination and even developed the technology itself, AKI reports.