VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta has joined four other Mediterranean EU states in urging the European Commission to take a stronger role in addressing maritime security threats in the region.
Speaking in parliament after a European Council summit, Prime Minister Robert Abela highlighted concerns over the sanctioned Russian LNG tanker Arctic Metagaz, which remains adrift in the Mediterranean. Abela said the MED5 group—comprising Malta, Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Spain—had formally written to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, calling for the activation of existing EU mechanisms and the creation of new ones to respond swiftly to such incidents. He warned that the situation poses serious risks to Mediterranean security, including the threat of long-term environmental damage.
The prime minister also told parliament that leaders discussed a worsening global energy crisis, describing it as the most severe in decades. In addition, Abela noted growing concern across Europe over a possible rise in irregular migration linked to escalating conflict in the Middle East.
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(ITALPRESS).
