During Thursday, in Croatia, the Prime Minister Robert Abela, at the invitation of the President of the European Council Charles Michel, attended the meeting together with European Leaders, in preparation for the new Strategic Agenda of the European Union which will cover the years 2024-2029.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Robert Abela mentioned some of the priorities for the coming years that are important for our country, which should be considered in the new strategy. Among them he mentioned the Single Market, access to medicines, connectivity and the Mediterranean. The Prime Minister reiterated that in relation to the Single Market there are still circumstances where certain countries such as Malta remain disadvantaged, among them when it comes to access to medicines and connectivity. He stressed that before introducing legislation in this regard, impact assessments should be carried out that take into account the realities of all Member States, including Malta.
Dr. Abela stressed that although our country continues to bring quality medicines at an affordable price, the European Union must address the challenge of access to medicines so that we really have a Single Market for Pharmaceuticals. The Prime Minister also mentioned that Malta depends on maritime transport and aviation as connectivity with the rest of Europe. He emphasized that the European Union should see what actions the Southern Neighborhood is taking in relation to sectors that are crucial for our connectivity, so that together we can continue to fight climate change. Regarding the Mediterranean region, the Prime Minister stressed that this region has a lot of potential and should be given the importance it deserves. Therefore he suggested that there should be a European Commissioner for the Mediterranean.
Dr. Abela concluded by wishing that the conclusions from this meeting lead to the preparation of a strategic direction that is based on reality, that is ambitious and that provides clarity to the citizens, against the background of the many multidimensional challenges that we are experiencing. During the meeting, the European Leaders also talked about current situations, including the Middle East conflict.
It was mentioned how in the past days in the Security Council of the United Nations a resolution drawn up by Malta was passed which will lead to more humanitarian aid in Gaza. Prime Minister Abela stressed that Malta will continue to deliver a strong voice in favor of peace.
In Croatia, Prime Minister Robert Abela also had a bilateral meeting with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, where they continued to build on the discussion of the bilateral meeting they had in Malta, this September.
