European Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Defence held a joint meeting in Brussels to discuss the first official proposal of the EU Strategic Compass. The EU Strategic Compass, once approved, will guide EU action in security and defence policy for the next 5 to 10 years. Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Evarist Bartolo and Minister for Home Affairs, National Security and Law Enforcement Byron Camilleri participated in this meeting.
The Strategic Compass should allow the EU to deliver greater security to European citizens, to face the current challenges while being rooted in the European fundamental values.
Malta’s position stressed that the EU’s neighbourhood, which remains in a precarious state of unresolved conflict, should be the top priority of the EU’s external engagement. In this regard, Malta welcomed the inclusion of Libya, in the Strategic Compass. Malta also stressed the priority for continued dialogue with the Gulf Cooperation Council and the African Union in view of the regional dynamics. Furthermore, the capacity-building aspects of crisis management remain of key importance and should therefore be given more prominence in the strategy. Strategically, the EU should start bringing the supply chains feeding its economy closer, thus avoiding vulnerabilities and dependencies on far-away regions.
Malta reiterated that the EU’s actions in peacekeeping and crisis management should be firmly anchored in the multilateral framework of the United Nations. The EU should seek to effectively combine hard and soft power to address crises holistically and sustainably. Malta recalled that unanimity in Common Security and Defence Policy remains the guiding principle.
