The foreign ministers of Malta and Palestine (left to right respectively) meeting in Rome. (WAFA Images) 

ROME, Monday, December 09, 2019 (WAFA) – Malta reiterated this week its support for the two-state solution and its opposition to Israeli settlements, which it said were contrary to international law.

This came during a meeting between Foreign Minister Riyad Malki and his Maltese counterpart Carmelo Abela in the Italian capital, Rome, on the sidelines of the Mediterranean Dialogues Forum, which ended its work yesterday.

Abela reaffirmed to Malki Malta‘s adherence to the two-state solution and its strong support for United Nations resolutions related to Palestine, the illegitimacy of the Israeli settlements, and its will to continue playing its role by supporting the rights of the Palestinian people, whether from its position within the European Union or in international forums.

The two ministers discussed bilateral relations between their two countries and ways to enhance them, in addition to the political developments in the region and the role of the European Union towards the recent steps by the US administration regarding the city of Jerusalem as well as the Israeli settlements and its dangerous outcomes.

Malki said that the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo‘s statement is a green light for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to continue annexing more lands, especially his intention to annex the Jordan Valley to Israel, noting that the latter is working to benefit from that statement in strengthening his electoral situation in the upcoming Israeli elections.

The foreign minister also discussed with his Maltese counterpart the recent position of the European Union regarding Pompeo’s statements, the mechanism of cooperation in coordinating positions between the two ministries in facing the challenges that face the peace process, stressing the need for the European Union under its new leadership to play an important role in reviving the peace process and preventing its collapse because of Netanyahu‘s and US President Donald Trump‘s positions and decisions, who are working to eliminate the two-state solution or any opportunity to establish a Palestinian state, adding that this should not be tolerated or accepted by the international community, especially by the European Union.

Malki added that the European Union must maintain a unified position towards the two-state solution, the justice of the Palestinian cause, and the rights of the Palestinians, saying that it is not permissible to allow a country to affect the European decision and influence its historical positions, which are consistent with the principles on which it was based. He criticized the votes of some member states in the United Nations on the resolutions relating to Palestine and considered it a departure from the European consensus.

The minister discussed with his Maltese counterpart the situation of Palestine in the International Monetary Fund (IMF), confirming Palestine‘s refusal to be dealt with under Israel‘s shadows, adding that he had spoken with many foreign ministers regarding this, and that he sent this to all member states in the IMF confirming Palestine‘s position, especially since there is a legal basis on which it has relied on after the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1967, where Palestine has become a full member of several international organizations.

Malki also praised the bilateral relations with Malta and discussed ways to enhance them in various fields, thanking his counterpart for the support Malta offered to the Palestinian people, as well as for hosting the Businesswomen Forum which was held in Malta last month, and the efforts made for its success.

The FM conveyed an invitation from President Mahmoud Abbas to the Maltese Prime Minister to attend this year‘s Christmas celebrations in the city of Bethlehem.

K.T./M.K.