In Paphos in Cyprus where Prime Minister Robert Abela was participating in a MED9 Summit for the Leaders of Member States in the Mediterranean together with the President of the European Commission and the King of Jordan, he stressed that in the face of geopolitical challenges in the Mediterranean region we need much more than relief on the status quo.
In a news conference after discussions including with European Leaders, the Prime Minister pointed out what is happening in the Mediterranean with the tensions in the Middle East and the importance of security and peace. The Maltese Prime Minister reiterated our country’s call for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Lebanon and Gaza.
He claimed that Malta agrees that the European Union fully supports Jordan, as this country is offering refuge to a number of refugees who have left the countries where the fighting is going on. He referred to Jordan as a strategic partner that is important in this region to bring much needed stability.
The Prime Minister also spoke about other different themes including the priorities of the Mediterranean and immigration. “Today we have all come together as European Member States in the Mediterranean to work on our common challenges. The needs of the Mediterranean states are distinct and different from other member states and with a new European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, the Mediterranean perspective will be heard more than ever and will continue to lead to decisions in favor of our citizens”.
Regarding immigration, the MED9 countries agreed that the European Union should continue to help the countries in North Africa to take the necessary steps to address this challenge. Here the Prime Minister emphasized that Libya should be an integral part in all this. He said that Libya is a key partner in addressing the immigration challenge and stressed that Malta will continue to support the European Commission in order to strengthen cooperation with Libya. The Prime Minister added that the Mediterranean voice must be heard more when we talk about immigration and this region must continue to be supported. “There can be no solution to the immigration challenge in Europe without a solution for the Mediterranean”, the Prime Minister pointed out in a strong way together with other European and Mediterranean leaders.
On the topic of competitiveness, Dr Abela continued to push our country’s position of the need for a single market that is equitable for all, including those states on the periphery of the European Union such as Malta. He stressed that connectivity remains an important tool in all this and how as a region we must continue to invest in digital infrastructure because we cannot remain in a situation where our citizens in the Mediterranean are disadvantaged by other citizens coming from other Member States including on obtaining services.
During the MED9 Summit, Prime Minister Robert Abela was accompanied by Government Deputy Carmelo Abela and the High Commissioner of Malta for Cyprus, Joseph Cuschieri.
Photographs (OPM-DOI)
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