On 15 January, Major General Mahmoud Hamza, Director of the Military Intelligence Department and commander of the 444 Combat Brigade, made an official visit to Malta during which he met with the Minister of Defence, Interior and Security, the Commander of the Maltese Armed Forces, and the Chief of the Maltese Security Service. The meetings addressed ways to promote mutual security cooperation, especially in the areas of training and sharing of experiences. The visit also included a field tour of the Special Forces headquarters, training centres, the Navy and the Air Force, as part of developing security coordination between the sides. It is likely that cooperation on combatting irregular migration from western Libya was discussed.
