The government said this morning it will continue to seek consensus on foreign matters, such as the Libya crisis.

In a statement, it said the Prime Minister had been insisting for over a year that in the case of a neighbour country becoming a failed state which no one could lead, it should be a respected institution such as the United Nations to intervene with the aim of restoring peace and order.

The Prime Minister consistently made this point in European fora as well as personally to Jean Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk and during other bilateral meetings, including with the British and Italian premiers, the German chancellor, the UNHCR and the UN.

Malta’s insistence led to other countries also advocating a UN mission and Italy declared itself ready to take action and intervene in Libya under a UN mandate.

This step continued to spread the message to the international community that it should not focus just on Ukraine and other problematic situations but should also urgently tackle the Libya crisis.

Stability in the Mediterranean, the government said, was crucial for stability in Europe so Malta was committed to continue to play its part.