Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Evarist Bartolo participated in a virtual meeting of the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council that addressed the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, irregular migration, and developments in the Middle East.
In his intervention, Minister Bartolo spoke about the situation in Libya and referred to his last visit, where he held talks on the important process underway to get Libya back on its feet. He warned that at this early stage one should be realistically cautious that, although we are close to a permanent solution, the situation is just as fragile, and the risk of collapse is great.
In this context, Minister Bartolo called on the European Union to play its active part in this process with full respect for the sovereign will of the Libyan people. Imposing names on who will occupy the highest positions in the country will surely fail, he concluded.
Later, ministers had the opportunity to engage in dialogue with the Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Riad Malki, who was invited to address the virtual meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council.
Speaking on behalf of Malta, the Netherlands and Slovakia, Minister Bartolo said that this was the right time to take stock of the situation in the region, strengthen relations between the countries and the European Union, and to move forward together.
He added that the three countries remain committed to the two-state solution, in line with the UN Security Council resolution and within the parameters of international law. In this regard, Malta, the Netherlands and Slovakia condemned the illegal settlements that are undermining the peace process, saying that the normalisation of ties with third countries should not prejudice or replace such a peace process.
