Maltese absence during Brussels meeting on Egypt ‘serious’ – PN

Shadow foreign minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici has taken to task George Vella for failing to attend an extraordinary meeting of the EU's foreign ministers on the worsening situation in Egypt.

"Neither the minister, nor anyone from the abundant Cabinet has understood the urgency of the crisis, failing to attend this meeting, and government's stand on Egypt shows a lack of insistence on the need of a collective action to normalise the situation as quickly as possible," Mifsud Bonnici said.

"The absence of the minister from this meeting was a lost opportunity for our country," the MP said.

Mifsud Bonnici said the PN was following closely events in Egypt, and lauded a declaration from the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on the emergency situation inside the North African country.

"Egypt must not be abandoned and it requires a great diplomatic presence and financial assistance from Europe. For us, its prosperity is growth for the Euro-Mediterannean region," Mifsud Bonnici said.