Ian Borg meets India's prime minister in New Delhi

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Ian Borg has met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at the Raisina Dialogue 2026 in New Delhi, marking the first time Malta has attended the annual conference at the ministerial level.

"For Malta, disruptions to energy and food imports are not abstract risks, and the Government remains focused on responding to international impacts even in a context that our country has a small domestic market," Borg said, addressing a session on the challenges facing small island states.

The Raisina Dialogue is India's leading annual conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, bringing together political leaders, industry experts, academics and other prominent figures from across the globe.

Borg spoke during a session themed "Connecting Islands of Solutions: Aligning Nature, Politics and Economics", where he highlighted the pressures of regional instability, particularly in the Gulf, on countries like Malta.

He argued that small islands must convert their geographic position into economic and strategic leverage by playing a greater role in international maritime governance, investing in physical and digital infrastructure, and creating special economic zones.

"As exemplified by Malta's position as a leading maritime hub, this approach enables islands to become stable logistics centres and indispensable connectors within the international economy, reducing dependence on external powers," Borg said.

He added that global uncertainties should push nations to speed up their energy transition, reaffirming Malta's commitment to resilience through interconnections, renewables, energy storage and greater diversification of sources.

His bilateral meeting with Jaishankar focused on strengthening ties in areas including clean energy, healthcare, ICT services, pharmaceuticals, the blue economy, education and connectivity.