Foreign Minister George Vella today hoped that an equitable solution to the uncertainty in eastern Europe would be found through dialogue and with the help of the experience and diplomatic skills of the Council of Europe and the OSCE.

Addressing a Council of Europe ministerial meeting in Vienna, Dr Vella remarked that countries from the Caucasus, Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan were in the process of moving nearer to the EU economic systems and market opportunities.

“We are all aware what unfortunate circumstances have developed, and what strains and threats these developments have had on peace and stability in this central European region, not least on our energy security.”

Dr Vella said that one had to keep in mind that in spite of major achievements in European stability “we still face the challenge of safeguarding the interests of minorities, and dealing with the political, social and demographic problems in areas where there are still frozen conflicts”.

He also emphasised the challenges Europe was facing from the south stating that stability in the Mediterranean had been seriously threatened as a result of the upheavals and political turmoil in North Africa

“The so-called Arab Spring took everybody by surprise. After three years the countries involved, with the exception of Tunisia, are still locked in political intransigence, conflict, gross humanitarian tragedies, religious extremism, and ever increasing radicalisation.”

The Council of Europe, Dr Vella said, had to continue its neighbourhood dialogue and cooperation, to make good for the problem of migration, both legal and illegal, and to confront the rising tide of extremism and xenophobia in European countries because of these demographic changes.