Malta supports renewed EU, UN effort in Libya

Malta stands ready to contribute to a renewed EU and UN effort in Libya, towards unified institutions and lasting stability, Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg said on Tuesday.

Borg expressed Malta’s concern at the latest developments in Tripoli, when he was participating in this month’s EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting, in Brussels on Tuesday afternoon.

“The recent escalation serves as a stark reminder that the current fragility is untenable. Underlying divisions are deepening, and the risk of renewed conflict is very real,” he warned.

Borg welcomed Italy’s call for a more active EU engagement in Libya, reinforcing the ongoing UN-led process.

“Malta has always maintained that real, sustainable progress depends on a genuinely inclusive, Libyan-owned process. However, continued international engagement remains essential, particularly to safeguard Libya’s sovereignty, ensure full respect for the arms embargo and advance the withdrawal of foreign forces,” he explained.

Referring to Palestine and the Gaza Strip, Borg said forced displacement is contrary to international law and insisted “starvation cannot be used as a weapon of war.”

He called for the immediate lifting of the humanitarian aid blockade and for international humanitarian law to be respected and upheld. Deputy Prime Minister Borg also expressed Malta’s deep concern over all actions that undermine the overarching goal of the Two-State solution, as he reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages.

Malta also supported a Netherlands call for the EU to review Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

The EU-Israel Association Agreement, in force since 2000, forms the legal basis for Israel’s access to the EU market. Article 2 has rarely been activated despite concerns raised by human rights groups and some member states over the years.

The Netherlands’ proposal has renewed focus on whether EU mechanisms are adequate to address alleged breaches of international humanitarian law by its trade partners.

On Ukraine, Malta commended the US, EU member states and other partners for helping to create an environment in which negotiations may have a stronger chance of securing a just and lasting peace for the Ukrainian people. “The meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Lviv, earlier this month, demonstrated the EU’s ability to present a unified front, with a stronger call for a full and unconditional ceasefire,” Borg added.  

Earlier on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg also participated in the European Humanitarian Forum, co-hosted by the EU Commission, the Commission’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations Department and the Polish Presidency of the EU.