{"id":52524,"date":"2025-10-20T19:36:53","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T18:36:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/?p=52524"},"modified":"2025-10-20T19:36:53","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T18:36:53","slug":"european-competitiveness-must-start-from-the-mediterranean-prime-minister-robert-abela-at-the-med9-summit-in-slovenia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/20\/european-competitiveness-must-start-from-the-mediterranean-prime-minister-robert-abela-at-the-med9-summit-in-slovenia\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cEuropean competitiveness must start from the Mediterranean\u201d \u2013 Prime Minister Robert Abela at the MED9 Summit in Slovenia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In Portoro\u017e, Slovenia, Prime Minister Robert Abela participated in the MED9 Summit together with the Leaders of the European Union Member States in the Mediterranean, the President of the European Commission and King Abdullah II of Jordan.<\/p>\n<p>During the first meeting with the Leaders, the Prime Minister stressed the need to strengthen cooperation between Mediterranean countries so that Europe is more competitive, secure and resilient <strong>,<\/strong> three areas that form the foundations of Europe&#8217;s future.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pr251863c.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-52526 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pr251863c-300x182.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"182\" srcset=\"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pr251863c-300x182.jpeg 300w, http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pr251863c-150x91.jpeg 150w, http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pr251863c.jpeg 495w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The Mediterranean is not Europe&#8217;s periphery but the main driver of its competitiveness. In the Mediterranean region, energy costs and logistical challenges have a strong impact on the economy, so we must ensure that the benefits of the Single Market reach everyone while strengthening connectivity, trade and skills. Therefore, as a country, we believe that the Pact for the Mediterranean is an important step in this direction because it recognises the potential of our region as a centre of growth and stability,&#8221; said the Prime Minister.<\/p>\n<p>The Prime Minister added that energy and connectivity are at the heart of this vision. \u201cWe started this dialogue in Malta two years ago, when we talked about the Mediterranean as a hub for green energy. Today we are here to continue on that vision and see to it that we strengthen the links between the South and the North of Europe while integrating the island countries into the European grid.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Prime Minister also stressed that competitiveness depends on people. &#8220;The Mediterranean should be a space where skills and talent flow safely and legally. We need more academic cooperation, training and pathways for talent in the digital and green sectors, while also addressing the causes of irregular immigration,&#8221; the Prime Minister explained at the Summit in Slovenia.<\/p>\n<p>He also spoke about the need for the European Union&#8217;s decisions on climate and energy to strengthen, not weaken, Europe&#8217;s competitiveness. &#8220;We must be ambitious but also realistic, including in the fight against climate change where we must protect sectors that are crucial for the economy and competitiveness, such as the maritime sector. We must protect our families from disproportionate financial burdens while giving businesses certainty to invest in the future,&#8221; the Prime Minister said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Ultimately, what unites us in this group is the goal of allowing the countries in the Mediterranean and all of Europe to attract quality work, strong businesses and a better life for citizens. If we work together in the energy sector, connectivity and skills, the Mediterranean can be the engine of growth and stability for the entire European Union,&#8221; the Prime Minister strongly emphasized.<\/p>\n<p>During a meeting in the presence of King Abdullah II of Jordan, discussions focused on peace in the Middle East and the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Here, the Prime Minister reiterated Malta&#8217;s position in favour of an immediate ceasefire and a two-state solution, while acknowledging Jordan&#8217;s crucial role as a partner for peace, stability and humanitarian assistance.<\/p>\n<p>Photos: OPM<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"pvc_stats_52524\" class=\"pvc_stats all  \" data-element-id=\"52524\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.0\" viewBox=\"0 0 502 315\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\"><g transform=\"translate(0,332) scale(0.1,-0.1)\" fill=\"\" stroke=\"none\"><path d=\"M2394 3279 l-29 -30 -3 -207 c-2 -182 0 -211 15 -242 39 -76 157 -76 196 0 15 31 17 60 15 243 l-3 209 -33 29 c-26 23 -41 29 -80 29 -41 0 -53 -5 -78 -31z\"\/><path d=\"M3085 3251 c-45 -19 -58 -50 -96 -229 -47 -217 -49 -260 -13 -295 52 -53 146 -42 177 20 16 31 87 366 87 410 0 70 -86 122 -155 94z\"\/><path d=\"M1751 3234 c-13 -9 -29 -31 -37 -50 -12 -29 -10 -49 21 -204 19 -94 39 -189 45 -210 14 -50 54 -80 110 -80 34 0 48 6 76 34 21 21 34 44 34 59 0 14 -18 113 -40 219 -37 178 -43 195 -70 221 -36 32 -101 37 -139 11z\"\/><path d=\"M1163 3073 c-36 -7 -73 -59 -73 -102 0 -56 133 -378 171 -413 34 -32 83 -37 129 -13 70 36 67 87 -16 290 -86 209 -89 214 -129 231 -35 14 -42 15 -82 7z\"\/><path d=\"M3689 3066 c-15 -9 -33 -30 -42 -48 -48 -103 -147 -355 -147 -375 0 -98 131 -148 192 -74 13 15 57 108 97 206 80 196 84 226 37 273 -30 30 -99 39 -137 18z\"\/><path d=\"M583 2784 c-38 -19 -67 -74 -58 -113 9 -42 211 -354 242 -373 16 -10 45 -18 66 -18 51 0 107 52 107 100 0 39 -1 41 -124 234 -80 126 -108 162 -133 173 -41 17 -61 16 -100 -3z\"\/><path d=\"M4250 2784 c-14 -9 -74 -91 -133 -183 -95 -150 -107 -173 -107 -213 0 -55 33 -94 87 -104 67 -13 90 8 211 198 130 202 137 225 78 284 -27 27 -42 34 -72 34 -22 0 -50 -8 -64 -16z\"\/><path d=\"M2275 2693 c-553 -48 -1095 -270 -1585 -649 -135 -104 -459 -423 -483 -476 -23 -49 -22 -139 2 -186 73 -142 361 -457 571 -626 285 -228 642 -407 990 -497 242 -63 336 -73 660 -74 310 0 370 5 595 52 535 111 1045 392 1455 803 122 121 250 273 275 326 19 41 19 137 0 174 -41 79 -309 363 -465 492 -447 370 -946 591 -1479 653 -113 14 -422 18 -536 8z m395 -428 c171 -34 330 -124 456 -258 112 -119 167 -219 211 -378 27 -96 24 -300 -5 -401 -72 -255 -236 -447 -474 -557 -132 -62 -201 -76 -368 -76 -167 0 -236 14 -368 76 -213 98 -373 271 -451 485 -162 444 86 934 547 1084 153 49 292 57 452 25z m909 -232 c222 -123 408 -262 593 -441 76 -74 138 -139 138 -144 0 -16 -233 -242 -330 -319 -155 -123 -309 -223 -461 -299 l-81 -41 32 46 c18 26 49 83 70 128 143 306 141 649 -6 957 -25 52 -61 116 -79 142 l-34 47 45 -20 c26 -10 76 -36 113 -56z m-2057 25 c-40 -58 -105 -190 -130 -263 -110 -324 -59 -707 132 -981 25 -35 42 -64 37 -64 -19 0 -241 119 -326 174 -188 122 -406 314 -532 468 l-58 71 108 103 c185 178 428 349 672 473 66 33 121 60 123 61 2 0 -10 -19 -26 -42z\"\/><path d=\"M2375 1950 c-198 -44 -350 -190 -395 -379 -18 -76 -8 -221 19 -290 114 -284 457 -406 731 -260 98 52 188 154 231 260 27 69 37 214 19 290 -38 163 -166 304 -326 360 -67 23 -215 33 -279 19z\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/i> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif\" border=0 \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In Portoro\u017e, Slovenia, Prime Minister Robert Abela participated in the MED9 Summit together with the Leaders of the European Union Member States in the Mediterranean, the President of the European Commission and King Abdullah II of Jordan. During the first meeting with the Leaders, the Prime Minister stressed the need to strengthen cooperation between Mediterranean [&hellip;]<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"pvc_stats_52524\" class=\"pvc_stats all  \" data-element-id=\"52524\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.0\" viewBox=\"0 0 502 315\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\"><g transform=\"translate(0,332) scale(0.1,-0.1)\" fill=\"\" stroke=\"none\"><path d=\"M2394 3279 l-29 -30 -3 -207 c-2 -182 0 -211 15 -242 39 -76 157 -76 196 0 15 31 17 60 15 243 l-3 209 -33 29 c-26 23 -41 29 -80 29 -41 0 -53 -5 -78 -31z\"\/><path d=\"M3085 3251 c-45 -19 -58 -50 -96 -229 -47 -217 -49 -260 -13 -295 52 -53 146 -42 177 20 16 31 87 366 87 410 0 70 -86 122 -155 94z\"\/><path d=\"M1751 3234 c-13 -9 -29 -31 -37 -50 -12 -29 -10 -49 21 -204 19 -94 39 -189 45 -210 14 -50 54 -80 110 -80 34 0 48 6 76 34 21 21 34 44 34 59 0 14 -18 113 -40 219 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Lynch","author_link":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/author\/bernardlynch\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"In Portoro\u017e, Slovenia, Prime Minister Robert Abela participated in the MED9 Summit together with the Leaders of the European Union Member States in the Mediterranean, the President of the European Commission and King Abdullah II of Jordan. During the first meeting with the Leaders, the Prime Minister stressed the need to strengthen cooperation between Mediterranean&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52524"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52524\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52528,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52524\/revisions\/52528"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52527"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52524"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}