NEW YORK (UNITED STATES) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Prime Minister Robert Abela has said economic growth should be judged not only by headline figures but by the opportunities it creates for people.
Abela was speaking at the Concordia Summit in New York, where he is attending the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The Prime Minister said trade was an essential condition for prosperity for an island state such as Malta, allowing goods and services to cross borders, investment to flow and opportunities to be created.
He said the global economy was undergoing a period of transformation, with shifting trade routes, changing supply chains and growing technological and climate pressures.
Abela said resilience should not become protectionism, arguing instead for supply chains that could withstand shocks and partnerships that reduced vulnerabilities without creating new barriers.
He also referred to Malta Vision 2050, which aims to ensure economic growth delivers better opportunities, higher-quality employment, stronger skills and sustainable communities.
Turning to artificial intelligence and digital trade, Abela said these offered smaller economies new opportunities to reach global markets through talent, agility and ideas.
But he warned that technological progress should broaden opportunities rather than deepen inequality.
During a separate high-level meeting at the UN on children’s rights in the age of artificial intelligence, Abela said AI development should remain human-centred and respect fundamental rights.
He also attended a meeting on developments in the Middle East, where he reiterated Malta’s support for a two-state solution as the path towards lasting peace in the region.
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(ITALPRESS).
