Malta has expressed strong reservations against any military intervention in Syria.
In a statement yesterday, the Foreign Ministry said any military action, however small, would probably ignite the whole region and lead to an escalation of hostilities that would be impossible to control.
It appealed to the international community and the UN Security Council to lead the way towards diplomatic solutions.
On Friday, US Secretary of State John Kerry detailed what he called a “clear and compelling” case that Syria was responsible for a chemical attack that killed nearly 1,500 people. Mr Kerry made it clear the US was on the verge of military strikes against the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
Yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin challenged the US to present more credible evidence to the UN that the regime used chemical weapons.
The Maltese Foreign Ministry said Mr Kerry’s statement on Friday strengthened the case against the Syrian regime.
The satellite evidence of rockets fired from regime-controlled areas striking neighbourhoods where the chemical attacks reportedly occurred was particularly compelling, the Foreign Ministry noted.
“The Maltese Government condemns unreservedly the perpetrators of such heinous crimes.
“It reiterates its firm belief that such atrocious crimes cannot go unpunished, and that those responsible should eventually be held responsible for their actions according to international law,” the ministry said.