VALLETTA, Malta: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Malta overnight Tuesday for talks on the situation in Libya with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, according to official sources.

Clinton arrived at 2:30 (0030 GMT) in the morning and was met by Malta's Foreign Minister Tonio Borg.

She was due to meet Gonzi at 10:00am (0800 GMT) before releasing a statement to the press, the prime minister's office said.

The Mediterranean island state is the closest European country to Libya and has been a centre for humanitarian aid efforts and the evacuation of workers from the strife-torn country.