Malta's friendliness 'strained' by migration - PM

Malta risks being overwhelmed by the magnitude and the intensity of the increasing flows of human traffic from North Africa to Southern Europe, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi told ambassadors accredited to Malta during an exchange of New Year greetings at Auberge de Castille yesterday.

"Immense pressures have been created on our physical capacity to deal with the practical aspects which arise in this regard. Even more disturbing is the strain which this situation is putting on our traditional spirit of hospitality and friendliness," Dr Gonzi said.

Together with its partners in Europe and the Mediterranean, Dr Gonzi said, Malta was working towards a collective response which reconciles immediate remedial action with long-term solutions. All actions must be rooted in international legality and in the respect for the individuals and communities caught in the dilemma.

"In the coming months my government intends to maintain its strong focus on this matter, including the fight against illegal trafficking. We hope that this issue will continue to receive the attention it deserves at the High Level Meeting on Migration that the United Nations will be organising next summer."

The Prime Minister said that as a "long time friend" to both Israel and the Palestinians, Malta is determined to play as active and constructive role as possible in ensuring that the European Union maintains its balanced and even-handed approach in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

His one disappointment related to the proposed European Constitution. The referenda in France and The Netherlands showed that the necessary consensus on the subject did not yet exist at the European level.

Malta was hopeful that the EU's latest decisions on enlargement "will have an important stabilising and progressive effect on the Balkan region in the same way as the latest enlargement is having on Eastern and Central Europe and the Mediterranean".

He described the EU's financial perspectives for the period 2007-2013, characterised as they are by the spirit of solidarity, as sending a strong positive signal to all European citizens.

His government's primary goal remained the continuing development of Malta into "a prosperous, efficient and humane society founded on the principles of democratic governance, legality and social justice, and inspired by a spirit of commitment and partnership both internally as well as within the wider international community".

The problem of human trafficking was also brought up by President Eddie Fenech Adami when he addressed the Diplomatic Corps at the Palace, Valletta.

"The scourge of human trafficking is one of the foremost concerns not only of our country but also of the other countries in the Mediterranean region.

"I hereby appeal to the sense of human solidarity of all citizens of the European Union and of the other developed nations of the world in the face of the plight of their fellow human beings. I appeal to the sense of duty, obligation, sympathy and solidarity that we share in virtue of our universality as human beings," Dr Fenech Adami said.

The President paid homage to Pope John Paul II, calling him "the man of the century".

Addressing Malta's southern neighbours he said: "I would like to express Malta's continued desire to strengthen ties with your countries and to work together on all levels - political, social, economic, cultural and educational - for the well-being of our nations and for peace and fruitful cooperation in the Mediterranean region".

Foreign Minister Michael Frendo also addressed ambassadors, spelling out Malta's strategic foreign policy objectives.

Not surprisingly, he also dwelt on the problem of illegal immigration, saying it constitutes a serious concern for densely populated Malta.

"We have not, and will not relent, in our continuing efforts to address this problem bilaterally, within the context of the European Union, the OSCE, the United Nations and other organisations. The international community must be united in combating international criminal organisations which carry out human trafficking and smuggling to their financial gain without regard to life and limb."

Dr Frendo said Malta wanted to see the construction of a strong European Union "which is not only actively engaged in deepening relations with its neighbourhood in 'a circle of friends', but also pursuing strong relations across the Atlantic and with all continents and major economic and political players globally.

"In this regard, I would like to lay particular emphasis on the need to strengthen further the focus on EU-Africa relations in particular with the African Union and regional African organisations. Malta supports the holding of an EU-Africa summit in the shortest time possible to follow up on the first summit held in Cairo five years ago," he said.

Dr Frendo said Malta will continue to play a proactive role in the promotion of peace and stability in the Mediterranean with the aim of continuing to improve the region's prospects for peace and prosperity and the ongoing creation of a Euro-Mediterranean Area of Free Trade, investment and stability based on respect for democratic values and the rule of law.

"We hold the view that the evolving political situations in Israel and in Palestine, however volatile, cannot be allowed to stall the peace process. We strongly and unequivocally condemn statements that call for the eradication of the state of Israel. Malta continues to maintain its position in favour of the solution of two viable and contiguous states living side by side in peace and security in full respect of international law," Dr Frendo said.

He referred to Malta's chair-in-office of the Commonwealth, saying it will strive to contribute to a Commonwealth which enjoys a strengthened political dialogue.

"Within the European Union, we will intensify our participation in issues which relate to countries of the Commonwealth and seek increased interaction between the Commonwealth and the European Union itself," he said.