VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta is ready to welcome the world’s warring parties to facilitate a path to peace, Prime Minister Robert Abela told delegates at the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York. Positioning Malta as “a unique platform for peace,” Abela renewed his open offer for dialogue. “Malta stands ready to welcome you, to facilitate, and to support you in finding ways forward,” he said, referencing both the war in Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. While he avoided the terms “genocide” and “Israel,” Abela condemned the devastation in Gaza, describing forced hunger and mass killings as “morally wrong” and “inhuman.”
He recalled the story of Ibrahim, a Palestinian child treated in Malta after losing both legs in a drone strike, as he demanded: “These atrocities must stop now.” Abela called for a two-state solution, rejecting suggestions it would reward Hamas. “It is the only way to finally banish the evil of Hamas,” he said. Turning to Ukraine, Abela named Russia directly, condemning its “unprovoked and illegal” invasion. He urged continued economic pressure on Moscow to bring about dialogue and saluted Ukrainians with “slava Ukraini.”
On the role of the United Nations, Abela said the institution was “not perfect but indispensable,” calling for reforms to the Security Council and the secretary general selection process to make them more transparent and inclusive. He argued that small states bring “innovation, credibility, and moral authority” to global action.
Abela also highlighted migration as a pressing issue, warning that the current level of irregular migration was “unsustainable.” He urged a coordinated international response that is both humane and effective, while defending Malta’s controversial cooperation with Libya to prevent departures by sea. “Although Malta may be one of the UN’s smallest members in terms of geography, we have always been determined to be one of the UN’s biggest voices,” Abela said.
– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
