Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Labour leader Joseph Muscat yesterday said they were disappointed but not disheartened by the Irish referendum vote not to ratify the Lisbon Treaty.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, the party leaders said the European Union and Malta had to look to the future.
Dr Gonzi said: "Naturally, the result of the Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty was a disappointment. Like all such votes, however, it will be respected. Furthermore, Europe is strong and will continue to be strong."
On his part, Dr Muscat, who still occupies a seat at the European Parliament, said Europe had to look at the broader implications of the 'no' vote in Ireland.
"The low turnout tells the story more than the 'no' vote. There might be disillusionment with the EU. The low turnout means quite a lot, especially in a country like Ireland where voter turnout is usually high. One cannot brush this aside. From an operational point of view, the EU must now look for another window but there are lessons to be learnt," he said.
The original treaty, in the form of a European Constitution, had already been amended after France and the Netherlands rejected its ratification in a referendum three years ago.
But even the amended version proved to be troublesome for Europe as the Irish shot it down in a referendum last Thursday.
Dr Gonzi's and Dr Muscat's approach to the bad news for Europe and Malta was in line with the brave face put on by the European Commission soon after the referendum result was announced.
Commission President José Manuel Barroso had said in Brussels: "We recognise the Irish vote but ratification from the other member states has to continue. The treaty is still alive.
"Our position is very clear. Eighteen member states have already ratified the Lisbon Treaty while one rejected it. We must now continue with the ratification process in the other member states while continuing in a collective way to find a solution on how to move forward."
According to current rules the treaty has to be ratified by all member states before it comes into force. The Irish vote means that plans for the treaty to come into force next January 1 have fizzled out and the EU will now have to decide on how to find a way out, if there is one.
Despite the positive attitude of certain European leaders as well as the European Commission, the future of the treaty and its proposed changes for the EU to operate better is in the balance.
European leaders will meet in Brussels next week for the mid-yearly traditional summit during which the Irish Prime Minister is expected to give a presentation on how his country proposes to solve the impasse.
Meanwhile, Nationalist Party MEPs David Casa and Simon Busuttil also expressed their regret on the outcome of the Irish referendum.
"This is a very disappointing result indeed. It is bad news for Europe and bad news for Malta as we now stand to lose our sixth seat in the European Parliament," they said.
They added: "Perhaps the time has come for countries who want to take European integration forward to be able to do so without being held hostage by recalcitrant countries.
"There is no question that those countries who do not want to go along should be free to do so. But why should they be able to stop all the rest from moving on? Perhaps it is time for them to decide whether they want to stay in the European Union," they said.
In contrast, left wing group Zminijietna welcomed the result of the Irish referendum on the EU Treaty, describing it as a victory for democracy and a social Europe.