Malta is pushing for the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to appoint a permanent representative for the Mediterranean to address migration and broader security concerns.

Foreign Minister George Vella said the government wanted to see a non-political representative competent to report on developments in the region – enabling the OSCE to take action in a timely manner.

Addressing the press yesterday during an official visit by OSCE secretary-general Lamberto Zannier, Dr Vella said the suggestion had been broached at a recent meeting in Jordan, where it was well received. He added that the final goal would be the setting up of an OSCE office in Malta.

Mr Zannier said his visit – the first by an OSCE secretary-general – celebrated Malta’s foresight in being a key proponent of the Mediterranean Chapter of the Helsinki Final Act 40 years ago.

The act, signed in 1975, formed the basis of the OSCE, which now includes 57 participating states and 11 partners across Europe, North America and North Africa.

Mr Zannier stressed that, while the Mediterranean dimension had begun as an “appendix” to the organisation’s primarily East-West approach to security, it had today become a central part of its work.

“As we address security challenges in the broader region, we have come to see the situation in the Mediterranean as crucial to European security,” he said.

The secretary-general called for a discussion on the root causes of migration and the more immediate challenges posed by the crisis.

“We firmly believe that the soft security approach that has served our organisation so well in Europe can be adapted to work within this broader environment,” he said.