In Kosovo, President George Vella held official talks with President Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu. The meeting started with a confirmation on both sides of the excellent relations that bind Malta and Kosovo. President Vella reiterated Malta’s continuous support to Kosovo in its path towards EU accession and recalled Malta’s support to Kosovo’s participation in multilateral fora.
During a press conference just after the talks, the President of Malta said that he welcomed the European Commission’s enlargement report issued on the 12th of October and encouraged Kosovo to continue on its path to further enhance its European perspective. He also added that Malta supports the European Commission’s proposal for visa liberalisation. From the broader regional perspective, President Vella said that the Western Balkans region cannot be detached from a stable and secure Europe and the Mediterranean. “Malta, therefore, fully supports the use of a merit-based approach, which includes fair and rigorous conditionality, and encourages candidate countries and potential candidates to continue pursuing necessary reforms in the interest of their citizens,” the President remarked.
With reference to the agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, President Vella conveyed his support for the work being carried out by the European Union on this front. The President reflected on the savagery of war, invasion, and aggression in Ukraine. President Vella said that “as part of the Security Council, Malta will be a strong advocate in calling for an end of the war in Ukraine, in underlining the need for justice and accountability, and in emphasising the need to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches all those in need.”
President Vella also emphasised the need to give the Mediterranean region the attention it deserves, and that the international community should not wait for a crisis in Malta’s Southern Neighbourhood to materialise before it takes a position and acts on it.
This was the second time the two presidents met this year, following President Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu’s visit to Malta in March for the World Forum for the Culture of Just Peace. In Kosovo, President Vella is accompanied by the Minister for Gozo Clint Camilleri.
