And what about that Oil and Gas Summit in Rome, eh?
Published:
November 4, 2013 at 12:56am
That was meant to be last Wednesday, wasn’t it? Was it a total flop or what? We can deduce that it was from the Department of Information’s curious silence about the matter, when it ordinarily inundates us with press releases every time Leo Brincat changes his trousers.
Did Konrad Mizzi actually go? We know that Edward Zammit Lewis didn’t because he was in London. And Chris Cardona? Joe Mizzi? No press releases? Oh dear.
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There are a couple of pictures here, showing the Minister of Energy and the Minister of Malta Enterprise (which employs the Minister of Energy’s wife).
http://www.italymaltasummit.com/#
The website says the following:
“The Italy and Malta Oil & Gas 2013 Summit is held under the auspices of the Ministry for the Economy, Investment and Small Business of Malta and the Ministry for Energy and the Conservation of Water of Malta.
The Ministries provided IRN with exclusive insight and information regarding the Upstream and Downstream sector of Malta, and will be there to present on the latest developments, so this is your unique opportunity to meet and network with them.
Our team met with them in Valetta to finalise the program and discuss the details of the summit. We would like to thank the Maltese Government for their kind and warm hospitality, as well as for supporting the event.”
So it is not clear if the pictures showing the Ministers were taken during the visit to Malta or during the “summit” in Italy. Perhaps someone can recognise the backgrounds in the pictures if they were taken in Malta.
The pictures are taken in Strada Mercanti, Valletta.
The photos with the ministers were taken in Malta with at least one taken in the Phoenicia foyer.
In the website there are two photos of the summit: one showing a certain John Blair from the Ministry for Transport and Infrastructure (never heard of him) and the other showing about 30 people listening to an unidentified speaker.
Then, on the same website there’s a long series of photos of some other better-attended meeting held on the 26 September at the Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens. The two events do not seem connected.
The photos on the website show Konrad Mizzi with IRN representatives, whereas another photo shows Dr Albert Caruana (from Joe Mizzi’s ministry) with the same IRN people.
Oh my God! Look at how Konrad & Chris are standing in those pictures, and how they wear their suits.
The main pictures on the site refer to a meeting held in the Hotel Grande Bretagne, in Athens, Greece.
Cheats, scoundrels and thieves.
Joe Mizzi was there.
Last week Joe Mizzi had announced on radio that he would attend the Rome conference, but not speak at it.
The IRN website (organisers of the Rome conference) refers to a certain ‘John Blair from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure’. Apparently he is now consultant to Joe Mizzi on oil.
John Blair is from the US and worked in the Rockies of western US. What connection does he have with Malta? The Rockies are very different from Malta.
Blair also works for a company that specialises in unconventional reservoirs (shale gas).
Is unconventional gas going to be another of Joe Mizzi’s pipe-dreams which we have to pay for? Are we to spend millions of euros exploring for shale gas (we have none) just like Malta did in 1996 when Joe Mizzi wasted 30 million of our money on his 8km deep Madonna taz-Zejt well in Gozo, because he thought there is plenty of oil there?
A government with too many secrets is corrupt.
Speaking of which:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20131104/world/east-libya-movement-launches-government-challenges-tripoli.493145#.UndLVPnbPME
These guys control 60% of Libya’s oil. Pity Joey didn’t sign his agreement with them…..
Minister Joe Mizzi repeatedly told us when Labour was in opposition that he knew exactly where the oil is in Malta and should the Labour Party be in government he will drill and find it immediately.
During an interview on Bondi+ he said that if he fails to find oil he will resign. Does anyone know if Joe Mizzi started drilling for oil because if he did it seems to be a well guarded secret.
Palm lounge, Phoenicia Hotel, Floriana.
But is there the need to double print the Maltese coat of arms? Isn’t one enough with both ministries right underneath? To me it looks weird.
Dear Daphne I know that many do not like the way and the language to use to bring forth your news items.
I like it for the reason that you are always a way ahead of local media.
Most of all I love it for you always give facts and figures not nightmarish visions of the type Guzi z Zghir has in Wonderland.
In the last six months I have wiped out all doubt as to why the Movement hates your GUTS.
They don’t seem to know that the Maltese coat of arms in colour is the prerogative of the President.
The prime minister uses black and ministers use blue. It’s called protocol, but I guess if you can send Charles Mangion to represent you at a state dinner, you would not mind this sort of thing.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20131104/world/east-libya-movement-launches-government-challenges-tripoli.493145#.Undi38u9KSM
Joe Mizzi does not need to attend these meetings. He had declared that after 3 months with a PL government he would personally discover the oil wells.
Looks like it was all just a load of gas.
‘His rash fierce blaze of riot cannot last,
For violent fires soon burn out themselves;
Small showers last long, but sudden storms are short;
He tires betimes that spurs too fast betimes;
With eager feeding food doth choke the feeder:
Light vanity insatiate cormorant,
Consuming means soon preys upon itself.’
John of Gaunt – Richard 11
Given our band club/village feast mentality, I am not so sure I can subscribe to the above myself. However, ‘hope springs eternal’.
Incidentally, top marks to Simon Busuttil for his excellently delivered and intelligently measured speech in Parliament re the passport scam. I have always voted for Busuttil as an MEP candidate and although I have to admit to a certain unease about the PN’s apparent hibernation, my faith in him never wavered.
It must have been a flop alL right.
The pictures of proceedings uploaded on the Summit website sort of give the impression that they are from the Summit. Yet, you’ll be struck by the fact that no one really looks either familiar or even Maltese.
If you scroll through the photos, you’ll come across some showing slides from presentations on the Balkans. There is a even a photo showing 5 guys on a panel with the edge of a presentation slide showing the date as 26th September. The nicest one is the photo of the Parthenon and Acropolis in Athens.
http://www.italymaltasummit.com/#!thank-you/cop
Are they thanking CoP for their success?