Prime Minister Joseph Muscat is expected to pay an official visit to the Palestinian territories in October following the invitation of Palestinian Foreign Affairs Minister Riyad Malaki.
The Foreign Minister visited Malta to thank the Government for its support for the cause of the Palestinian people.
He sang Malta’s praises throughout talks with his Maltese counterpart, George Vella, and later during a joint press conference when he said the Palestinian people were “forever indebted” to Malta for its support.
“I am here to say thank you to Malta for its strong, brotherly commitment, and I acknowledge the role played by Malta on an international level,” Mr Malaki said.
As he stressed Malta’s important role in strongly supporting the cause of the Palestinian people in their quest for freedom and independence, Mr Malaki said his countrymen will be pleased to welcome Dr Muscat, probably in October, to thank him personally. The Prime Minister is also expected to visit Israel.
“You should never underestimate the importance of Malta’s position on the Palestinian cause. We are indebted to Malta for its strong and unconditional support,” he told journalists.
He said it was important for the two countries to maintain contact and cooperate at different levels.
He also spoke of the plight of the Palestinian people, who, he said, have spent over 56 years living under an occupation with economic, social and cultural repercussions.
Dr Vella said both sides had agreed to set up a joint commission to discuss issues of a bilateral nature to expand relations between the two countries.
Meanwhile, Mr Malaki told the Parliamentary Foreign and European Affairs Committee in the afternoon that his country had agreed on a land swap with Israel as a concession of their own to adopt the two-state solution.
He praised US Secretary of State John Kerry for his efforts in bringing the peace process forward where others before him had failed.
Mr Kerry was to visit Palestine again tomorrow for further meetings with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Mr Malaki said Mr Kerry was seriously committed and sincere, but his task was not an easy one because he had to convince the Israeli side to stop settlements’ construction.
The Palestinian Authority was ready to give more time to Mr Kerry to succeed in his mission but the issue could not be left open-ended.
He called on the international community to stand up and speak clearly that this went against their beliefs in achieving peace and on the EU to take action in safeguarding the two-state solution as the Israeli side seemed to have become immune to declarations made by the EU.
While affirming Malta’s support for a two-state solution, Opposition spokesman on foreign affairs, Francis Zammit Dimech, asked the Palestinian minister about stability within his government in view of the Palestinian Prime Minister’s resignation.
Mr Malaki replied that President Abbas made tremendous efforts to reconcile with Hamas in trying to end division, by promoting a transitional government leading to elections for a new national government in Ramallah and Gaza.
He added that the Prime Minister had resigned because he encountered enormous difficulties in convincing Hamas to start the transitional process.
Committee chairman Chris Fearne showed appreciation for the Palestinian invitation for the committee to visit Palestine and remarked that Malta had held strong links with the Palestinians since 1975.
Palestinian Foreign Affairs Minister Riyad Malaki. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi