Malta recommends appointment of permanent secretary for Mediterranean affairs to OSCE

Foreign Affairs minister George Vella has recommended the appointment of a permanent secretary for the Mediterranean sector to better represent the region and tackle issues that affect it.

Speaking after a meeting with Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Secretary General Lamberto Zannier, Vella said that the visit marked the first time a Secretary General of the OSCE had visited Malta.

"In Malta, we have always associated the OSCE merely to its operations in the Mediterranean, but we need to understand how much wider its operations are," he said, stressing that the organisation had operated a number of initiatives including human rights and monitoring missions in the Ukraine, among others.

Vella said that Malta had often pushed for improved dialogue about the Mediterranean chapter within the Helsinki Act.

Zanniet said it was pertinent that a discussinb of the chapter had taken place earlier on during the day in Malta, as the country had been instrumental in the conclusions and plans which at the time had seemed far-sighted.

He added that over time, the importance of the Mediterranean chapter had increased and that future initiatives to support cultural and religious integration were essential.

Vella further explained that the role of a permanent secretary for the region would be to notify the OSCE about any growing issues in the region and thus make reactions and initiatives more timely.

"This person would not have a political role, but they would act as a watchdog to see what can and should be done to further support peace and stability as the OSCE has always sought to do," Vella said.