Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade Ian Borg reiterated Malta’s call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire to guarantee safe evacuation corridors and allow the delivery of much needed humanitarian aid.
Minister Borg was speaking during the Foreign Affairs Council meeting held in Luxembourg to primarily discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Dr Borg added that Malta would continue to support efforts undertaken at an EU and international level to address the immediate needs of Ukraine and Ukrainian citizens, which will need to be sustained as the conflict continues to take its toll. Minister Borg underlined that the UN Charter, international law, and other relevant international agreements need to be upheld. He also emphasised the importance of EU unity as an essential element of the EU’s approach in pursuing all efforts to stop the war in Ukraine.
While noting other EU member states’ measures on the expulsion of Russian diplomats, Minister Borg explained Malta’s constraints in undertaking such a measure due to the limitations of its diplomatic presence in Russia. However, Minister Ian Borg stated that Malta at this stage will be freezing Russia’s pending request to deploy new diplomatic officials in our country.
Drawing on the wider implications and recent multilateral efforts, Minister Borg called for more efforts to consolidate regional support, especially among African countries. The minister underlined the importance of stepping up EU engagement with Africa more broadly to ensure that the EU consolidates its position as Africa’s partner of choice.
The Foreign Affairs Council meeting also addressed the situation in Libya. Minister Borg stressed the importance of a Libyan-led Libyan-owned process and called on the EU to remain vigilant against spoilers of the political process.
In the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council meeting, Minister Borg held meetings with the Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, the Cypriot Foreign Minister, Ioannis Kasoulides and the Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares Bueno.
Photo: MFET
