Senatssaal der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
For for for your Excellency dear president Dr vea Dear Miss vea your Excellency Ambassador Dr sharip Dear Professor rufat dear Dr pidun dear students guests and Friends ladies and gentlemen on behalf of humal University at Berlin I would like to warmly welcome welcome you all to this year’s first
Humal speech on Europe it is a great pleasure to greet you all as our guests here in our just recently reopened Senate Hall as well as those watching via live stream I would like to express my great thanks to you president vaa for coming we are deeply honored that you accepted
Our University’s invitation the hbal speeches on Europe are among the University’s most prominent and popular speeches the first keynote being given by the former German foreign minister yoshka Fisher over 20 years ago 50 high ranking Statesmen and women political leaders constitutional Court judges and financial experts from all over Europe
Have since followed our invitation and shared us shared with us their view on the current state of our Union and discussed it with our students because you our students are due to create the future of Europe together with your fellows all over our continent you are indeed the next generation of
Europeans today president V joins the ranks of those speakers who addressed you our guest of honor serves since 2019 as the 10th President of the Republic of Malta he looks back on a long and successful political career in the service of his country and the European Union president V for example served as
A longtime Member of Parliament as Deputy Prime Minister and as Minister for foreign affairs and not to forget he served his community as a doctor of Medicine but more importantly than the enumeration of various professional functions and public offices he exercised is the fact that as a
Politician and as a human being he has shown constant commitment to democracy division of powers global social justice a hum Humane and solidary approach to migration for inclusion and multiculturism he stood up early for climate change policies and the preservation of the natural environment last not but not least he
Has been a long time admonisher for the need of dis armant president V it is a great pleasure to have you here today the humal university has great interest in bringing the European Union forward and strengthening European values which is reflected by our University’s partaking in Project Pro s
Such as European law school or Erasmus Plus we are genuinely interested to hear the maltes point of view reflecting on the global order especially with regard to malta’s membership in the United Nations security Council and its chairmanship of the organization for security and cooperation in Europe I would also like to thank our
Sponsors and partners Shong marato and the represent ation of the European Commission in Germany for enabling us to carry out this event and the males Embassy for cooperation president Wella once again we are deeply honored by your presence today welcome and Mera at humal University
Just give me a second it will not take too long uh Excellency our president of Republic of Malta Mr Val Excellency first uh Lady of Republic of Malta Mrs Val Excellency Mr uh Ambassador CHP uh dear uh Mr hel Meer uh dear um Professor ruford dear students uh ladies and
Gentlemen and distinguished guests it’s a great pleasure and honor to welcome you to um to today’s humbold speech on behalf of shto mcarter not long ago um we had been here uh to welcome Mr uh Mrs Roberta U manula president of the European Parliament in the context of
The humbold speeches who would have thought um that three months later we would have the honor to welcome another inspiring maltes leader with a strong European vocation Mr President joh George B the humal speeches have been established as a great tradition to discuss the eu’s most challenging issues
With Visionary European leaders and to venture a look into the future we are proud to be part of this journey and I’m not sure whether this journey will ever end today’s speeches on the present World Order comes to a crucial time we have entered another decisive year for
Democracies in Europe and worldwide the quote of The Economist 2024 will be the biggest election year in history with almost half of the world’s population is voting be it in Europe uh means European Parliament Austria Portugal or internationally the United States South am South Africa or India 2024 will also determine determine
The degree of which uh to which democracies are able to consolidate and defend themselves this is one of the reasons why our foundation has decided to sustain its work with the aim to strengthen democracies at stto mcarter we believe that an increasing multipolar world Europe needs to be at the Forefront in
Promoting a more inclusive World Order be it in addressing climate change mitigation driving forward a human Center digital transformation or in promoting participation and cohesion and we want to help strengthening Europe’s role in an increasing uncertain world through promoting foresight and providing science-based Solutions the next years will be
Decisive for the extent of which Europe is able to faces some of the biggest challenges the way a newly elected European commission will follow up on fundamental strategies such such as the European green deal the AI act or the global gateway we have we will have major implications on our society Economy
Supply chains and European Partners at the same time European leaders will need to find the answer to drive forward the European constitutional reform as well as its enlargement enlargement policy and putting in place a just and humanitarian migration migration and aulum system for all this objective malter is playing and will continue to
Play a fundamental role finally Europe will also need to continue to act in unit towards assuan enemies the fact that representatives of more than 60 countries met in Malta to address Ukrainian Ukrainian fight against the Russian aggression last Autumn is a proove of this this un
Unity but there is still a long way to go as these challenges won’t be solved overnight I’m pleased that the humal humal speeches brings together students who will be dealing with his challenges in the future with Visionary European leaders such you Mr President now the last few words to acknowledge all the
Participants and all the uh people who contribute to this uh excellent uh session therefore I would like to uh thank the walstein halin Institute of the yal universities for working towards the goals and for organizing today’s speeches thank all thank you also to the Embassy of the Republic of malter and
Berlin for their efforts in making this today event possible finally my special thanks for sure of course goes to you Mr President Val thanks you for being here with us today and now I’m pleased to listen to your um um yeah uh uh to your speech thanks a lot Professor Maas
Ruer vice president Helm dear students esteem guests first of all good afternoon it’s a great pleasure and an honor for me to be here with you this afternoon also I would like to thank the humbold university for inviting me to make this address in this AUST institution thank you all for
Coming motivated and inspired by the very strong International profile of the University I’ll be sharing with you some observations on the state of international politics and on the present State of Affairs around us I’m going to try to speak relatively briefly and then turn this meeting into a more active and dynamic exchange
Through questions and answers let me also at the very beginning set the context of my address today I’m only weeks away from the termination of my presidency that’s towards the beginning of April and we’ll use this occasion as an opportunity for an for an open and Frank assessment of where the International Community
Stands where the world stands as seen from my point of view of course in my assessment in this regard you will allow me a degree of directness I am sure as a matter of fact I wanted to begin the session by drawing out on some of my own personal experiences and memories
From the past some of which are very closely linked to the city of Berlin in 1962 as a young medical student I visited Germany for the first time here in Berlin on a medical student Exchange program spending a month studying at charlottenberg kranken house this was an experience that marked
Both my professional vocation as well as my interest in international Politics the trip coincided with the first anniversary of the setting up of the Berlin Wall in August 1961 during the month I spent here as a student besides touring West Berlin I recall my frequent passage to Checkpoint Charlie touring Alexander plat and
Walking down car Mark Sal and the Lindon then in East Berlin 17th of August in the evening I was coming out of East Berlin when I got to know that two young building workers from East Berlin had made a dash to scale the Berlin Wall obviously to flee into West
Berlin as you all know one of them got safely into West Berlin while 18-year-old Peter fer was left dying in no man’s land after had been shot in the back as he tried to escape and could not move later in which Jo massive demonstration in the kuram these were profound and formative
Experiences this experience together with my first ever visit to AIT concentration camp later on in 1962 64 helped me helped instill in me a deeper appreciation of the value and respect for human life in all its forms and the real meaning and value of freedom and democracy
I kept these memories with me as I continued to follow the dramatic developments that culminated in 1989 with the fall of the Berlin Wall this historic moment marked the end of the Cold War and the beginning of what at that time promised to be the emergence of an age of great
Optimism when I look back on those years what I remember mostly is the sense of optimism marked by genuine belief the page in history had been turned and there was then a very sense that the world was truly moving towards the Grand Vision based inter we all for democracy human rights
For a economic model and the eradication of poverty for multilateral diplomacy and for respect for the rule of law of the rule of international law these were some of the things really hoped would and could make a difference and bring peace to the world in retrospect I asked myself were we naive to
Be if I use myself as example and honestly tell you that since 1899 my optimism regarding the state of the world dwindled more and more as the years went by let us focus on the Pres scenario tensions among countries worldwide today are extremely high since two years we are sadly
Experiencing war on European soil we have devastating conflict in the Middle East and we are also belonging to A multilateral system that is constantly being put to the test we have a des disastrous recurrent situation of KS and civil wars in the sahal region in Africa with new military
Junas in the Central African Republic in Mali in Bina Faso recently in Sudan we can also observe a pattern whereby all the Sahel countries are beginning to turn to Russian vagaries to request support that they have been previously having from the West so the question is what has going
These are countries with huge un exploited naal resources remaining eternally poor while spending on weaponry and ammunition stability Reigns Supreme in these countries we should not forget the recent Wars in Yemen and in Syria and the continued fragmentation and internal divisions within and across Libya as we profess to search for
Solutions months and years are passing during which innocent lives continue to be lost day in and day out they are the real victims we cannot remain immune to the physical suffering and the psychological trauma that violence continues to cause Millions particularly innocent children the vacant look in the eyes of
Shell Shocked children in war homes says it all these pictures will haunt us for generations to come I’m particularly sensitive to this humanitarian impact of War and the psychological consequences these are not brushed Away by physical reconstruction when the war is over it takes it takes generations to get
Over the sensitivity could be this sensitivity could be because I was born in 1942 under very heavy bombing by exess forces on molta during World the mol of my childhood then still part of the British Empire was one of post-war destruction of suffering hunger unemployment and separation because of the heavy flows of
Immigration by family members to far off lands like Australia or the United States in search of a decent living a promising future in or much as in today’s realities innocent civilians were caught up in this life and death struggle forced to endure Relentless bombardments and near starvation while living for days and
Weeks on end in underground shelters duck out of live rock this is of war against this backdrop the naal community of the postwar era saw some of the most ambitious projects of multilateral tion Building Material most notable amongst these projects was the United Nations I quote to save sucing
Generations from the scourge of War these are among the first words of the United Nations Charter I am set to say that today this sounds Hollow if we are to be honest with ourselves about this we have to admit that we have all failed to translate aspirations into action especially when
And where it had been needed the most some may call this a negative judgment I consider to be realistic to I consider this more of a realistic assessment two very topical examples provide us with ample proof first in the face of Russia’s illegal and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine
Ukraine the International Community through its multilateral institutions have proved to be helpless to end this aggression and also regrettably unable to stop this complete disregard of international rules and the shering of obligations the same applies to the ongoing daily tragedy of Israel and Hamas and the scenes of utter Despair
And destruction reaching us from Gaza what we are increasingly with witnessing is a view of international politics where everyone is out for their own interests and throwing their weight around mostly through military might security is seen as a zero sum game it’s all competitive you either win
Or you lose as simple as that there is no middle of the road tolerance and peaceful coexistence while cooperation with where cooperation and collaboration are essential this leads us straight into a vicious security dilemma where practically each side builds up its hard SEC security to defend itself against the other and by
Hard I mean military I mean weapons arms and ammunition this cycle is further compounded with intensified arms production procurement and supplies and made practically replaceable by the development of whole economies being dependent on Military sales the famous military industrial complex the uncontrolled flow of these weapons greatly undermines stability and
The prospects of development around the world unless we somehow control this flow and sales these weapons will continue to fuel armed conflict fuel terrorism and organized crime complete eradication is too much to hope for however we need to be much more vocal on this issue I’m not alone in saying this
Amongst my other colleagues European heads of state for one I have always found the position taken by President Frank vyer a colleague and friend whom I esteem profoundly very close to mine not only as presidents but also when we serve together as foreign Ministers of our respective
Countries the irony is that the major powers professing pece also happen to be the largest manufacturers and exporters of weapons and ammunition with a very heavy economic Reliance of their countries on the manufacture on this manufacturer and Export do we ever stop and question why food stuffs and medicines hardly ever
Make it to a conflict Zone while arms and ammunition somehow carry on doing it it is also evident that a number of Arms Control agreement ments are becoming obsolete with major Powers pulling out of them or completely ignoring them the breakdown of these multilateral security regimes has become a serious
Problem and will only make matters worse in the years to come excuse me let me premise that I am the first one to believe that the solutions to security challenges be it in hard security or soft security lie in diplomacy and negotiations and nowhere else these are the basic tenants of any functioning
Multilateral system and peace as we all know is obtained not through the muzzle of the gun it’s through dialogue it’s through persuasion and not not through dictating or imposition coming as I do from a small vulnerable island nation where a very geostrategic location and since time Memorial exposed
To the whims of the great powers that constantly sought to assert their might in the seas around us I fully appreciate the relevance of a malal system where countries are all equal irrespective of the size the wealth and military strength in this context of real politic
It is easy and very pertinent for me to answer the question on what role Malta played to to to carve for itself a place in the International Community along the years while safeguarding its security it comes as no surprise to you that Malta is no military political or
Economic Giant and the security tools that our disposal are rather limited I would say very limited yet we managed to identify if Y and to nurture a principle that keeps us safe along the decades we chose the path of neutrality following Independence in 1964 and the status of Republic in
1974 this led us to the final departure of all foreign forces from our country in 1979 and the Declaration of neutrality was taken in early in the early ‘ 80s this principle enshrined in our Constitution states that and I quotee Malta is a neutral State actively pursuing peace security and social
Progress among all nations by adhering to a policy of non-alignment and refusing to participate in any military Alliance end of quote while our neutrality was envisaged and formulated in a very different International setting during the early 80s it clearly remains a very relevant tool in today’s context mta’s record thus far has amply
Shown that this status of neutrality when properly exercised is a valuable tool in the hands of those who work for justice and those who work for peace in the hands of those who want to see agreement by peaceful and diplomatic means we have subscribed to this vocation throughout the years in all the
Pertinent International and Regional fora with a vision that Harbors no self-centered Ambitions or interests beyond the de of Security even in the present tribulate circumstances neutrality has not stopped us from being both vocal and active and taking strong and categorical stances referring once again to the wars
In Ukraine and that between Israel and Hamas where there was a need to condemn we condemned where there was a need to defend we defended and then when there was a need to impose sanctions we imposed sanctions our most reason diplomatic success was achieved at the United Nations security Council where as an
Elected member of the council Malta managed to gain support for resolution 2712 that led amongst other measures to a brief pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas brief but very telling as to what prospects exist if a agement were to last longer it bears recalling that on this
Topic the security Council had not been able to agree on passing a resolution since 2016 allow me to use this occasion to unreservedly condemn the killing of innocent people irrespective of the per of who the perpetrator is while making my sincere plea to whoever Wills the
Power to do so to stop the ongoing Massacre of in people particularly of children I also underline the need for proportionality in any retaliation or conduct of hostilities as a cardinal principle of international humanitarian law the scenes that are coming out of Gaza and the suffering of innocent
Civilians there go Way Beyond the acceptable parameters I’m also concerned at how this war could spread elsewhere in the Middle East I say this in view of the attacks on International commercial vessels in the Red Sea from Hut controlled areas in Yemen this has been hugely disruptive to global trade and supply lines
Exacerbating an already precarious situation to many economies across the world threats to our collective security also exist in various other forms suffice it to point out how dependent we have become on data cables lying on our seabeds these form part of a very vulnerable Maritime infrastructure that
Is itself very vulnerable to sabotage as are as are our oil and gas supplies through pipelines oceans unfortunately have become a contested zone for the first time since the Cold War other threats so collective security come in the form of a never Rising tide of populism and farri political
Movements at this juncture in glob Affairs we cannot allow International organizations to be brought practically to a grinding halt review of structures and operational procedures are long overdue the reform of the security Council has been discussed for many many years on end Malta is standing up to to be
Counted at the United Nations security Council and is only weeks ago accepted the request to assume the chairmanship responsibilities of the other organization the organization for security and cooperation in Europe for the year 2024 we are proud to rise again to the occasion and help avoid an unprecedented
Leadership vacuum in the world’s largest security and cooperation organization closer to home we also have a long-standing history of involvement in Mediterranean politics our geographical location exactly at the heart of the Mediterranean dictates that we put a premium and give all our attention to the Region’s stability and
Security a great number of the world’s crisis have their origin in this Basin unfortunately the Israel Palestinian conflict the war in Syria instability in Libya and its serious repercussions in the whole of the Sahel the spread of terrorism trans shipment of illegal arms and R shipment the refugee crisis
Not to mention the impending negative effect of climate change especially on future Refugee flows Coming Out of Africa I have regularly spoken of my frustration at the way in which the International Community has time and time again failed to rec to recognize the urgency of tensions in the
Mediterranean or to act in a timely manner a pattern of reactive responses has emerged over the years with action being taken when it was too little or too late or both reactions to the Arab Spring movement in 2011 are a case in point unfortunately we also see that at
Times the European Union with Waring divisions between its member states hinders the block from taking the lead when it comes to issue to issues that pertain to the southern neighborhood unlike the amendable demonstration of steadfast Unity that we have all managed to show on Ukraine European Union member states
Are often split into various camps when faced with the challenges that continue to fester in the Mediterranean the same goes for the issue of migration where strong differences between individual European member states is still evident and risks are becoming more and more entrenched with the rise of populist discourse in various
Quarters the number of irregular migrants along the Mediteranean route is not sustainable from our perspective as a Frontline member State we can say that the much spoken about solidarity at European Union level has been lacking when it comes to migration to say the least Unity of the European Union is to
Be preserved on all possible fronts in a time where our values and ideals are threatened by War and turmoil populism and the Resurgence of extremist political ideals or competing values we must continue to believe in and to strive towards a stronger European union and this brings me to the issue of
European Union enlargement which in my view remains Remains the most powerful foreign policy tool at the European Union’s dis proposal the progress registered over the last year in this area is promising and I hope that this momentum in the enlargement process is sustained even though it brings up issues that need to
Be looked at to ensure that the European Union remains retains governability I referring to the voting methods and the decision making systems in an enlarged European Union looking at challenges that go beyond our neighborhood the alarming impact of a changing climate merits our increased Collective attention and concrete
Action I’m afraid that we are not fully aware of the disastrous consequences we will have to face where we to miss the targets set in cop meetings current projections on climate change foresee a temperature rise of Way Beyond the maximum 2 degrees Centigrade put down in the Paris cop 21 agreement of
2015 this sounds ominous as the effects will be felt not in the remote future but in 10 to 15 years from now this scenario poses a serious risk to Poverty reduction and threaten to undo Decades of development efforts as outlined in sustainable development goals during International efforts and despite all the efforts that
Have been undertaken poverty has become more widespread in many countries in the last decade making poverty reduction the core challenge for development in the 21st century as the years pass it becomes all the more clear that most of the objectives of the sustainable development goals will not be met by the
2030 deadline in six years time and despite very good possible intentions Millions will regrettably be left behind dear friends this short tour Orizon which is a rather Bleak one brings me to one final appeal to you to you our up and coming citizens of the world the policy
Makers and possibly also Future Leaders of our countries the legacy of my generation is nothing to be proud of it’s not an easy one for you to inherit I wish we could be you a better heritage however I urge you to do your part to revive a narrative of Peace of
Dialogue and Trust in diplomacy you are very much in time to mend our mistakes to reverse the damage and to fill the void we have created invest your energies and intelligence in the right values and hard as it may be Do Not Bow your head to or look away from aggression from
Abuse or from Injustice take this baton and this challenge to build a healthier fairer Kinder world that is more peaceful and more prosperous you owe it to yourselves thank you for listening and I look forward to hearing your comments and answering your questions uh that you
Might be be wishing to make thank you very [Applause] much did I stay here or I guess you have take check the intervie thank you so much Mr President for your very inspiring uh presentation now as you um announced uh we have the questions of our students and I ask you
To raise your hands if you want to ask one there one student over there U Mr President your Excellency um you’ve talked about the neutral status of your country and the positive impact which is had on the development of your country country of Malta um facing now the the current Russian aggression in
Ukraine and seemingly never ending conflict would you say that the neutral status is for Ukraine as well possible or a possible solution for the conflict between Russia and Ukraine okay it might interest you to know that in 2014 when I was foreign minister attending the meeting of the Council of
Ministers of the European Union that was exactly the proposal I did way back that we I was completely in favor of asking Ukraine and mova and the Eastern European countries to come closer to the European Union but Falling short of becoming members of the of of NATO for the time being and I
Specifically said at that particular meeting that I would propose that Ukraine declares 10 to 15 years of neutrality after becoming a member of the European Union unfortunately it was turned down we listen we we heard this proposal again um some months after the beginning of the war from the from the Russian
Side for a very short period because then it was taken off the the the agenda but I I honestly believe that had this happened things would have been different thank you very much for the very clear statement there is a question over there please the gentleman with the
Glasses your Excellency like most you member State Malta has recognized the unbacked government of national Accord in Libya whereas other UN member states like France and Greece uh took the opposite course and chose to support the toook based government do you believe you law should be changed to address divisions like this
One talking about Libya is something which is very complex and I don’t propose to put forward Solutions in in in a few minutes however I was talking about the need for Unity in the European Union Libya is a case where there has been from the very beginning this Unity
Between the members of the European Union you you mentioned yourself France on was on one side other countries like Italy were on the other side what we have today in Libya after all these years from 2011 is a state of Anarchy Division and lack of agreement on the
Simplest of things of calling an election I’m hoping that the the the commission for elections will see elections through because now there is a certain amount of push for that to happen but I am sure that where Europe to be you know in a in a single voice
About Libya things would be different I mean I know that the conferences in Rome and especially the one in Berlin the the the the the conferences in Berlin on Libya did give results especially when we’re talking about disarmament about about control of armaments and all the other things that
Happened but even that stopped completely because there are two fronts there’s a alah who’s running Parliament on the Benghazi side there is Baba who is on the on the on the tri side and obviously there is also then haftar who is you know going around and and even
Recently and I was shocked to listen that two of his sons were put in charge of of what happened in DNA to to to to to administer the funds that are going to Libya to make up for the damage that happened after the the dams broke so
Libya Libya I’m sorry to say Libya is in a mess I’m sorry to say this there is a certain amount of of trade going on with countries like France like Malta like like Italy like trade is going on but politically politically there is no solution in sight
Absolutely thank you very much I saw another gentleman please yes thank you uh your Excellency Mr president Bella thank you so much for your words they were truly inspiring um my question pertains to the recently uh uptaken a referral to the European court of justice regarding the infringement process um with respect to
Certain conferrals of nationality uh within Malta um and I was wondering what your position is uh regarding the duty of loyalty under the uh uh te and the recent uh The Not So recent jurist Prudence of the international court of justice on that matter thank you very
Much yes so with uh respect to the um Golden Passport programs the uh EU has alleged that this would be in breach of the genuine connection Criterion from The notom Case of the international court of justice um specifically with uh article four sub paragraph 3 of uh the
Treaty on U um the TU um so what is your position or your government’s position on that issue and do you feel that duty of loyalty um is covering that aspect or do you do you feel that this is unjustified yes um perhaps I would be in
A better position since I’m I’m the Ambassador the president is the is a non-executive president so he does not speak on behalf of the government but is the symbol of the unity of the nation so what I can say about this is there are infringement proceedings uh Malta fully
Adheres to the rule of law we are awaiting we have our position which we feel is Justified we are arguing our position before the the the court of justice of the European Union once there is a judgment we will see what the judgment is and bow our head to the to
The Judgment of the courtt so we will fully adhere to what the Court decides and therefore remain fully compliant with what uh with with the EU treaties and the EU legislation thank you yes it is disob thank you very much your excellencies I wish to add that uh for
My students for the students of my class this is constitutional law and action when different constitutional bodies have different competences apparently and it has to be made clear I’m my position is not an is not an executive president yes I mean there is government that I don’t interfere in what
Government does yeah so the Ambassador is representing government and that’s why he can speak up on that because I have my own opinions as well but we the German situation is not so far from this I would say that’s it yes uh okay another question from this side of the room please
Thank you so much for speaking here Mr President um my question pertains to the conflict in Israel you talked about the fear of escalation and I was wondering what you think of the military intervention led by American France of bombing the hu hu rebellions who were inhibiting trade and how can you stop
That while not letting that conflict further escalate in military wise well this is this is a very very difficult situation that you’re talking about and I’m sure there are no easy solutions one will have to go for by principles and the principles I would advise is obviously first of all
Stopping military action that is the most important thing besides that there is diplomacy and diplomacy it does take time doesn’t give immediate results but at least it doesn’t leave victims mean you mention the H is attacking trade in the Red Sea when passage of merchandise through through SE Canal has dropped
Down to to practically 30% and that’s going to have very bad effects on the prices of products and and anything which comes through the suit Canal to all the countries in the Mediterranean so it is it is on the other hand it is obviously leaked up to what’s
Happening in Israel that is that is for a fact and my position and I’m also sure that it’s the government position and in in this case I do speak um in parall with government we are for stoppage of all military activity for more humanitarian supplies to be allowed to
Go into into into Gaza and for the situation to be discussed seriously you know at a diplomatic level there are no solutions by just carrying on killing and killing mothers and children and and everybody I mean Hamas are not going to be eradicated simply because there is this
Firing I I’m afraid I’m afraid that we we are with what’s happening we are creating new generations of Hamas people in the future if you get my message you know what I mean I’m not saying that Israel should not have retaliated of course they should have retaliated I condemn
Completely with no no no no qualifications what happened on the 7th of October that should never have happened but at the same time there has also be to be a certain amount of proportionality when we are now you know counting 6 26,000 citizens civilians being killed
And Counting I think that’s too much so there must be some sense of proportionality and we sit down around the table and come to Serious decisions as to want what to want to see in the future first the presence of Israel that’s absolutely to be to be to be
Guaranteed the security of Israel that’s to be guaranteed but then again why not the um the the the the the presence of a Palestinian state that has been in the in the offing for all these years and nothing has happened so these are the three basic things that should happen
And from those discussions we move on to see what has got to be done to bring peace to the region thank you very much oh there for the lady in the middle your Excellency thank you very much for your speech um now I’m not too sure if you’re the right person to
Address the question to now um but I was wondering you mentioned in your speech we sanction when we need to sanction and when um the EU discussed sanctions on Russia um I remember that Malta had blocked some sanctions regarding ships and also lagged behind when it came to
Freezing assets and I wanted to ask ask what the reasons for that were um when the EU discussed sanctioning Russia in regards to the war in Ukraine um Malta blocked uh sanctions in the EU in regard to ships and no yeah I I think what you’re referring to what I’m referring to is
The um is the passage of is it ships that cared G Malta and Cyprus I believe yes but that has got to do with shipping it’s not it’s not just political that is purely commercial for what one can say you know I mean we see this happening in Council
Uh where different member States including Germany has its own interests and obviously when sanctions are being decided upon um um what you know uh every country tries to also uh represent its own interest however Malta has never blocked the adoption of any of the sanctions packages never it has not m is
Not a country that likes to block or to veto we believe in dialogue we discuss put our views and that the of the day we we we go for consensus and stick to the consensus thank youal thank you very much another question in the back part of the
Room hello um thank you Mr President for your speech H coming back to your inner European politics now um so you also talked about governability of Europe when you talked about the enlargement process um and my question to you would be what do you think does Europe need in
Terms of being governable in the future when we are talking about the enlargement in the next 10 years maybe um and also addressing the Democratic deficit of the European Parliament um because some proposals have in mind that they could mean uh strengthening of the European Parliament for example do you support
That well the European Parliament has been getting stronger and stronger since the lisban treaty this is something which is very positive when I talked about the um the the I wouldn’t say the dangers but the the challenges coming from enlargement obviously one of the big challenges is decision making I mean
Today with 27 it’s one thing if you’ve got 30 36 members it’s another thing and there’s already talk about um removing unanimity in certain decisions especially when it’s dealing with with common foreign security policy but then again there are also other decisions for removal unanimity when it comes to tax
Harmonization for example and then as the even as the the our our ambassador is saying we have our own interest because as a small country we cannot we cannot rely and not have the the the strength in inverted commment that we have now when we’re talking about about taxation taxation is something which
Needs unanimity in the European Union now losing that right to block or to have you know um certain changes in the European Union is not something you can give up uh just like that it needs a lot of a lot of discussions and I know that
There is the what is called the urina process where you can you can decide in unanimity to relinquish unanimity and that is something which is but one of the things which I was talking about is precise precisely decision making decision making is very important and when there is a LGE of the European
Union we’ll have to see that it will remain governable on the other hand the other decisions that I was referring to was the um the speed of bringing in members in the European Union and the sequence I mean we know that the Western Balkans have been you know waiting to
Become members of the European Union for all these years now we’re talking of quick membership for Ukraine and mova not that I am against it I I’m not going to the the the the the the intricacies of that but one we have to be careful
Not to you know put the others in in in in a waiting line which will never which will never materialize whereas others are brought in uh you know without having to go through the normal process that is that is one of the biggest one of the biggest um challenges that I
Think but the most important is is decision- making decision making is very important thank you very much further question yes please um Mr President thank you very much for your speech uh you mentioned the conflict in the sale regions and you talked about more of more more and more
Of those countries turning towards Russia for help uh do you believe that it might be because the European Union has done hasn’t done enough in the past to prevent that there there is always a reason there’s always a reason for example why is it that you know the last two years
Actually the French with all due respect they were actually told to leave Mali after all those years having having um relations with Mali you know there there are more than than the French presence in Mal there Americans there are lots of however the trend is today somehow to do
Away with the relations with Western powers and somehow they are being blinded by by by this vagna group which now is is called the group that has changed names and I think it’s going to be stationed um in in somewhere in Libya so we all know that even with the
Proliferation of arms that there was in Libya way back was was sent to to the to to the Sahel countries and that was primarily the reason why there was um the Revolt in the Northern Mali some years ago the the issue the issue is it’s not for me to decide I’m not I’m
Not on that component to say this is the reason but obviously there is always there is always is the the the um the old colonialist mentality that these countries always look at European Union countries that were once colonizers and they’ve got lots and lots of things to
Say unfortunately so it could be many many many things not just one item it could be many many issues brought brought together and obviously then there is the interest as we’re saying of Russia to to to Fan um lack of interest in these countries thank you very much Mr President further
Questions I do not oh yes there’s a question there Mr President I would like to add to the question of my colleague right there when we talk about reforms and you’ve talked about reforms in your speech as well we also talk about the European Union not only about United
Nations or its Security Council I would like to ask you if how you stand on the question of a direct election of the European Commission it was proposed uh sometimes in the public um regarding to the fact that it would add to the European process of unity and give the Comm commission some
Kind of legitimacy or some kind of yeah more power regarding urgent political questions how is your point or your standpoint on that such questions have got various answers I mean if one says what’s wrong with the commission as it is now one might say they are not
Elected but Parliament is elected and we all know that the commission doesn’t act you know on its own on its own speed it has to pass everything through through Parliament so if a commissioner comes up with an idea or or or a proposed law and which which he wants to to to to
Implement it has to go through the whole process of going through Parliament especially after the lisban treaty and there is more Cod decision between the Parliament and the council so it’s not just people who are sent to Brussels deciding on their own and imposing things on the European Union they have
To pass through the whole system now whether they are elected directly as well as are as are the members of parliament personally I have nothing against it because they would be obviously carrying more power because they are direct directly elected from from the people as it is today we always
Say that the only really Democratic instit part institution the European Union is the European Parliament okay but it doesn’t mean that the council and the commission even more the commission because the commission does not take decisions the commission simply makes proposals which are then debated discussed accepted or not accepted by
Parliament eventually so there is this um Democratic Democratic um filter thank you very much there another question in the back of the room um Dear Mr President again um so right now when we are uh reflecting on the present World Order um as you talked about many
Wars and conflicts all over the world um and once again the question of European uh integration is very much high on the agenda but also a question that comes with it is uh the question of the European army or european military um what’s your stance on that do you think
Like that Pro probably right now is a good time to start integrating on a military basis even further well things this brings to mind the the talk that there was some years back about strategic autonomy the the the concept that Europe by itself could have
An Army Strong Enough um to face to face challenges I’m not a strategic I brought you know in military but I fail to understand how at least under the nor circum present nor circumstances Europe could do away with the transatlantic relationship that has been built over all these years and I’m referring to
Nato in the sense that there is such cooperation and such um history between between the two sides that it’s inconceivable at least at this moment that there could be a Detachment from from from from the United States and Europe will go it alone it’s very I know
There is a very strong um French uh push on this strategic autonomy but I I’m not in a position to decide you know whether that would be enough or not most of it will not be enough and I know that this subject is also being considered a lot
Now that there is the you know on the horizon there could be the the the the election of trump who has in the past even spoken about sort of you know you go your way we go our way um and also asking Europe to to bring up the the
Percentage of of the the budget that they spend on Military on military military um equipment I I don’t see mind you I’m I’m not an expert in this but I don’t see at least in the immediate future or in the foreseeable future uh European Force strong enough strong
Enough to do what is being done now by NATO I think that is um in the in the Realms of it’s possible obviously with with with with enough spending on that but historically I think the connection has been has been has become so bound together that it’s very very difficult
For people like me to want to realize that they could be going their own ways it’s very difficult thank you very much that’s a question uh uh just behind the St to say Thank you Mr President um in the instance that American support for Ukraine should cease or significantly
Decrease um which position would you support um which European position would you support in terms of continuing to support Ukraine militarily to defend itself against Russian attacks or would negotiation be more viable position for Europe to support in the absence of uh NATO uh fully fully backing military
Solution this is is a very hypothetical scenario but undoubtedly even as from now I am one of those persons who believe that negotiation is very very important even at this very stage because what we’re seeing at the moment is a state of a state of of sort of equal
Forces what’s happening is that there are equal forces on both sides they have the same equipment the same technology the same drones so what’s going to happen it all depends now on the number of people I mean people men and women that have to be set to B to the front in
A war of attrition it takes you know a constant supply of soldiers on the front I’m putting this as a question will that be the the the the the the contributing factor that will have to decide whether the war can go on or not because Russia has got 140 million to
Pick up from Ukraine has only 40 40 million and by now we already have about half a million who have lost their limbs or or died at the front so if we if we think on these lines one would say that there has to
Come a time when we have to stop and say look we have to sit around the table and start discussing what the outcome should be now that is the The $64,000 Question I mean what would the outcome do we expect um Ukraine to seed all the land
That has been gained by Putin do we really believe that Putin will ever agree to go back to his original um positions before he invaded these are these are very difficult difficult questions to put but have to be but they have to be contemplated because we are
Dealing with a war we’re dealing with something which is active something which is you know gobbling up about not only the the the billions of dollars of of of of weapons and ammunition but lives human lives so the idea of discussion of going sitting around the table and trying giving a try to
Diplomacy it’s very very very important on the other hand from what we read very few people know the mind of potin we don’t know what his aims are and what an appetite he has now and after settling on some score or another I mean will it appease him by saying look theoretically
Theoretically let’s say the situation stops as it is at the moment will that be enough within months he’ll be attacking mova or other countries so this is a very very difficult question to answer but one will have to reflect a lot on the parameters and on the factors that
Um are to be to be put into this equation when we’re going to plan you know how long is it going to go on and that what cost and that is the most important thing when when we’re talking about what cost not only as I said not
Only billions of dollars human cost and there’s a limit to that there’s a limit to that thank you very much uh other questions in the room yes please well thank you very much for your remarks um during your keynote you’ve mentioned the International Security dilemma and as a solution you’ve
Proposed um well negotiations and diplomacy at large um my question to you is what power and potential would you assert to uh judicial mechanisms such as the icj the ICC um last year we saw the um or no now it’s two years ago we saw the icj um rendering uh well preliminary
Measures uh with regard to Ukraine I think tomorrow the icj will render well it’s let’s say opinion on uh the issue in uh Israel with regard to Gaza do you think that these mechanisms can also have a valid potential in these regards or would you rather view them as
Restraining uh the potential of diplomacy thank you no I don’t think they restrain diplomacy if anything they help diplomacy however the point is that such institutions are as effective as the members of these institutions are ready to comply with the decisions of these institutions because if if you say the
ICC I don’t respect what the ICC is going to decide I mean it it it is as as good as not non-existing the whole issue is that these International institutions then normally for under the ages of the United Nations security Council that’s where then the ultimate decisions are
Taken but even there we have a problem and as I said I mean we have been discussing reform of the security Council for ages and ages and ages will it ever come I don’t know from from from you know from the from what has happened
Over these last years in which I I was not involved but as foreign minister I used to be even when you when we used to be in in in in uh in the general assembly we always had these meetings about the reform of the security Council but it never materialized various
Options and as we said earlier all countries have got their own interests so it’s very very difficult to come to to to some sort of um agreement that this um world body will once again get the get the get the the the power and the and the and the influence that it
Used to have in the past I mean you don’t remember obviously you’re still young all of you about the berz about the peacekeeping facilities that the European that the United Nations used to used to used to embark on today they are hardly ever mentioned I mean we mentioning Libya we’re mentioning Syria
Mentioning kis in Yemen I mean in the past most probably there would have been sent there would have been blueberries being sent to control the situation today it simply doesn’t happen so it’s we are we are we are um um how should I put it we’re on the brink of I wouldn’t
Say the collapse of these International organizations but when you have international organizations like the ICC for example and then you get somebody telling you I don’t respect the I don’t recognize the IC we’ve got the law of the sea there are certain countries they don’t recognize the law of the sea I
Mean these are these are exceptions that then I wouldn’t say make the rule but but they they they deflect a lot from the strength of these institutions thank you very much um yes I Al also check whether people who have not already asked the question have one
But as there’s nobody else please and there’s sometime left you can you can go ahead uh during your presidency I’ve repeatedly met Pope Francis would you describe yourself as in agreement with the stances you took on immigration with France Pope Francis with Pope Francis Franciscus as we say in german yes
Pope Francis is very sensitive to migration and I can also tell you that when he was coming to Malta he was thinking more in terms of visiting the migrant centers than the the political people and half jokingly I I relayed the message to the new I said look tell him
That molta is not um pedusa it’s not that Island in Greece but he is he is dead bent on on making this issue uh very important I agree with him in the sense that that we should we should um treat these people who are running away from from from poverty running away from
From from war from from we should treat them as human beings to start with and that’s what we do and I’m talking now as Malta and we have been in this issue not now we have been in the big beginning 20001 2002 when we were all alone all
Alone having everyday arrivals on our Shores and with all du respect many European Union countries said it’s not our problem today everybody’s realizing how big the problem has become I’m saying this because we have at times also been accused of not doing our job but I can tell you that our big
Concern is not giving immediate attention to the people who are crossing over it’s what we do with them once they land on our Island especially when we’re considering Dublin to regulations we have no problem with rescuing them but then what happens in an island which is 33 square kilometers
With half a million population we have always appealed to the rest of the European Union that there would be solidarity put in place and up till this very day we are still arguing what we mean by solidarity because certain European Union countries unfortunately simply don’t want to have anything to do
With the distribution of those who actually manage to qualify as refugees or for international humanitarian protection that is our big problem we have no problem with with with with rescuing um refugees who are crossing over on the other hand obviously one will have to think in terms of of the
External factors that bring about Mig ation it’s not just you know sitting pretty and waiting okay let them come we have to be we have to be responsible to see why they are leaving and what we can do as even as a European Union in their respective countries to keep them from from
Leaving mention just one thing for example why not have sort of an arasmus plus Program for Young People from African countries to come to Europe for four or five years to learn trades technology do some business POS possibly and then go back to their countries to
Plow it into their economies why not we haven’t ever thought anything about that and up to this very time the the the the um um Asylum pact for migration is still being it’s still being debated in the European Union with certain countries absolutely not wanting to have anything
To do with that they are saying look if we we don’t accept migrants but we can pay I mean it’s not a question of throwing money at the problem these are human beings and human beings need to be welcomed and given opportunity which is the I the the the primary idea
Why they left their country in the first place they’re running away from the unfortunate circumstances in their country to try to find better opportunities abroad so it’s no I agree with with the Pope but obviously the pope hasn’t got the responsibility that that countries in the European Union
Have I mean I know that he has taken some some migrants to the Vatican and uh even when he was returning don’t know from where he took 12 people people on the plane with him but countries like countries in the European have got to be
To to deal with the situation in a more legal and and and structured way because we are one out of 27 not by ourselves and the first the moment you you you you you you give a status to a refugee it means that can have free movement in the
Whole of the European Union the European Union has got still to to to to come to an agreement on how actually that can be done and I’m not Malta is not the worst country Italy has suffered a lot on that and even Greece so we have to we have to
Somehow see that these hundreds of thousands that are coming on a regular basis are not burdened on one particular country they have to be distributed fairly equally you know on on on on an agreed on an agreed formula having to do with with uh population size GD G GPI our
Gross national product and and and the other things but as I said there are still countries that re absolutely refuse to have to do with that thank you very much for this answer now as I at the moment oh there’s one question very far behind not easy to see
For me I’m sorry for that um first of all thank you so much your Excellency Mr President uh secondly I would like to raise a question again about the situation of the guaga group and uh Putin’s Russia because as we know last year there was an attempt at a coup and
That was when the Wagner group was disbanded so that might have presented a situation about how Russian stability could play a very big role in the future and I would like to hear what you would think about that you’re you’re talking about the attempted um the attempted um march on
Russia yes that was organized by the by the Vagner group yes but then we know what happened mean there was a plane crash yeah and somebody died but the V group has not been disbonded I was reading recently there they are calling them themselves now the afro group and they are actually um
Organizing themselves in eastern in eastern Libya is is very much involved in that thank you but what you then see a problem or a threat in the future to Mal’s own neutrality seeing as the country is located right in the middle of the mediteran and right next to the Libyan
Coast of course when when when Isis when Isis was a problem I was foreign minister at that time and I can tell you I spent sleepless nights imagining what could happen if if you know anybody from the from the from the Muslim Community that we have in Malta
Appears on television you know with a Kalashnikov and says allahar I mean those were those were really really worrying times I mean this what you’re talking about molta being where it is is obviously something which which it’s there it’s going to stay there and this is why we are so interested in
Seeing that there is more stability and more prosperity in the North African countries because it’s our immediate neighborhood and then beyond that there is also what you used to call the the the neighbor of the neighbors the whole of the Sahel has got to do with the
North African countries so this is this is Mediterranean politics which is very very very difficult and this is why I was lamenting the fact that countries like Libya after all these years since 2011 have been left you know everybody everybody does business with Libya business is is is is going on but the
Political situation is what it is and there is no end in sight at the moment there’s no end inside it’s a huge country with a very small population there is very con very little contact between the East and the West we’re talking about what 7 million
8 million at most in a country which is as huge as if you put France Spain Poland and Germany together they fit in Libya it’s it’s a huge place it’s a huge place so there are these these these militias and the vagna group is one of them and let’s not forget that when
Haftar when haftar was planning to attack tripy he was making use 75% of his forces were from from militias and mercenaries coming from from Chad from Sudan they were not libyans this is the the complexity of it it’s it’s neighboring You by via the sea in that sense
Yes so if there are uh oh there a question from we have uh uh link to the direct link to the internet somebody asked the question from outside let let us let us perhaps wrap up with the questions from from the net yes and that’s quite perfect because it’s a bit
More of a general question we received from one of our followers and the question goes what is the role of education and Community Learning in the present World Order Ed education is the focus of everything I mean education is is is something which when I say education I’m
Not meaning arithmetic or or you know or or languages education in the widest sense educating for the future in values in respect in human human human human values again I repeat this but this is what I mean by education obviously education is the the the the the key to a better world
Undoubtedly thank you very much I think with Willam from H watching us and listening listening uh to these words uh I now have the very pleasant um task to thank you all for being with us to thank our supporters thetio marato the European commission the vice president of the University I really appreciate
Your uh support and but first of all to uh thank our distinguished speaker president Vala and that you will uh have a good memory of um this afternoon which is I think also you were giving news to us at the end of your of the period of your presidency I have a little
Gift um uh which includes some something uh which includes the the speeches of the preceding uh speakers the last speakers and I hope you may enjoy that than you thank you so much president thank you all and if you so wish without microphone uh you can continue the talk with the
Drink outside thank you thank [Applause] you