No violation of neutrality clause, Foreign Ministry insists

The Foreign Ministry yesterday denied claims by the Campaign for National Independence (CNi) that the Lisbon Treaty, unanimously approved by Malta's Parliament in January, violated the neutrality clause in the Constitution.

The ministry said that the treaty lays down that questions related to defence and security require the unanimous approval of all EU member states. Consequently, Malta can choose not to participate in any EU military operation, it insisted.

The ministry said that the Lisbon Treaty did not set up a military alliance, as claimed by the CNi. Furthermore, it was the Labour opposition and not the government which had proposed changing Malta's constitutional clause on neutrality in view of new international realities.