Lasting peace and stability are only possible through moral leadership, dialogue and civil society engagement, especially when human rights, economic cooperation and security are addressed together, fostering prosperity and trust among nations.
On Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Ian Borg, addressed the Helsinki+50 Conference hosted by the Finnish Chairpersonship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), in Helsinki. The conference marked the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, the 1975 unifying principles that led to the establishment of this organisation, to promote dialogue and consensus between nations.
“Through the Helsinki Final Act, leaders chose dialogue over division and agreed on the principles that are even more relevant today, as we face new, cross-dimensional threats,” Dr Borg said, referring to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the largest war in Europe since World War II, and other global challenges, such as cyber threats and the climate emergency.
“The OSCE’s ability to operate amid geopolitical tensions, to provide a platform for dialogue, and to promote stability when consensus is fragile was not designed for calm seas, but to navigate turbulent waters — and that remains its enduring value today,” he said, adding that “diplomacy grounded in shared norms can bridge even the deepest divides.”
Deputy Prime Minister Borg stated that Malta has always promoted the need for broader multilateral efforts, with synergies across regions. “The notion of such partnerships stems from Malta’s legacy 50 years ago, when we insisted on the inclusion of the Mediterranean Chapter, as part of the Helsinki Final Act,” he explained, recalling former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dom Mintoff’s insistence on the strong link between security in Europe and security in the Mediterranean, during the 1975 negotiations that led to the Helsinki Accords.
“Time has proven us right — indeed the security of Europe is inextricably linked to the Mediterranean, as well as to the Indo Pacific,” Dr Borg noted, adding that, as Chair of the OSCE Asian Partners for Cooperation, Malta is working to bolster cooperation in this region as well.
Drawing upon his visits to several OSCE participating states during the 2024 Maltese Chairpersonship of this organisation, Dr Borg urged nations to tackle polarisation within societies, which fuels extremism and undermines democracy from within. He emphasised the importance of supporting and empowering civil society. “Civil society supports the resilience of democratic institutions. It promotes respect for fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, as well as tolerant and non-discriminatory societies,” he affirmed.
In Helsinki, the Maltese Deputy Prime Minister held bilateral talks with the Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories of the United Kingdom, Stephen Doughty. He also participated in a meeting of the OSCE Troika, alongside the current Chair-in-Office of the organisation, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, the Switzerland State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Alexandre Fasel, on behalf of the 2026 Swiss chairpersonship, and the OSCE Secretary General, Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu.
Photo: MFT
