“We can no longer look at immigration with traditional solutions because we know they have not worked, hence the importance of innovative solutions.” This was the main message of Prime Minister Robert Abela during a summit of the European Council in Brussels and during which discussions on irregular immigration dominated. In fact, the theme dominated the whole day as even Italy called a meeting between a number of European states including Malta, in this regard.
With the media, as soon as the discussions ended, the Prime Minister claimed how during them he conveyed the consistent position of our country regarding this reality, namely that of preventing irregular immigration, the fight against human trafficking and more efficiency in the European policy that focuses on returns. It was here that the Prime Minister also mentioned how innovative solutions are crucial including the concept of a return hub mechanism, which Malta proposed a few months ago. The Prime Minister also supported the importance of not treating irregular immigration in isolation. “Investing in things like education and economic growth in these countries will definitely help the stability of the regions. This leads to more prosperity and alternatives in the end for those who are trying to take the risk of making an extremely dangerous journey at sea towards a better life.”
Meanwhile during the same summit, the European leaders dealt with a number of other topics that were on the agenda including the situation in the Middle East, Russian aggression in Ukraine, competitiveness, and the latest developments in -Sudan and Venezuela.
Regarding the situation in the Middle East, where there was even agreement in the conclusions of the summit in this regard, the Prime Minister supported the importance of the solution between two states while pointing out that the European Union must be strategy on Iran’s involvement. He reiterated that while the leaders are committed to bring stability and peace in the region, doing so is also in their interest.
As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also attended this summit of the European Council, the Council prominently discussed the Russian aggression in Ukraine. Here Dr. Abela conveyed the position of our country in favor of supporting Ukraine however within the limits of the Maltese Constitution. “We also agreed with what other countries claimed, namely that there should be outreach work around the world to promote lasting peace for Ukraine. In this regard, our position is to push this commitment even as a member of the UN Security Council and even with the OSCE Chairpersonship”, concluded the Prime Minister.
Photos: OPM
