Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday told the UN General Assembly that it was “extremely difficult” for Malta to continue to carry the burden which irregular migration was placing on it. The burden, he pointed out “is so acutely disproportionate to the size of the country and its population”.

Malta has continuously requested assistance in dealing with the problem “through the principles of solidarity and sharing of responsibilities from Europe and other countries, as well as from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees”, the Prime Minister said, going on indirectly to imply that Malta’s pleas had not always been heeded by saying that “Malta is grateful to those countries which have come forward to assist us in coping with this phenomenon”.

Much more needs to be done by everyone, “including the countries of origin and the countries of transit,” Dr Gonzi said.

The Prime Minister referred to various subjects, including terrorism, the Middle East, the use of children in war, and climate change.

On terrorism he said the fight against it must remain high on the agenda. “We must always be vigilant and ready to take collective and practical action on a daunting, complex and politically sensitive challenge. Terrorism has no boundaries and the unspeakable acts of terrorism can strike anywhere, anytime, in poor and rich countries, with innocent victims paying for these vicious terror attacks”.

Malta, he said, “reiterates its conviction that we have a common obligation and responsibility to support ambitious and urgent action, at the national, regional and international level, within the United Nations Framework Convention so as to stop and overturn in these coming years the accumulation of greenhouse gases which are causing detrimental climate change. The vulnerability of small islands States to the negative impacts of climate change needs to be underlined”.

Malta welcomed the important developments on the Cyprus question, the renewed vigour in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, the indirect negotiations between Israel and Syria with Turkish mediation, the formation of a national unity government in Lebanon, and the improved relations between Lebanon and Syria.

“Since we met here last year important developments have taken place on the permanent settlement negotiations of the Palestinian question. The Annapolis Conference held in November 2007 renewed an otherwise bleak future in the resolution of this question. Malta feels that all United Nations member states, without exception, should continue to support the Secretary-General in his quest, together with the Quartet, to resolve the issue of Palestine refugees and that of the permanent status of Jerusalem, as well as the other important issues of settlements, borders, and water and security,” Dr Gonzi said.

“The Paris Donors’ Conference for the Palestinian State, the formal start of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and the series of meetings between Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas, have given a most welcome meaning to the efforts being undertaken to resolve all outstanding issues, including all core issues without exception.”

Referring to political developments close to home, Dr Gonzi said Malta welcomed all initiatives which create a bond between European and Mediterranean countries. “A case in point is the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, with its headquarters in Malta, aiming to bring together all the littoral States of the Mediterranean on an equal footing, to examine questions and take decisions on issues of direct interest to the countries of the region.”

There was also the important development in the Euro-Med partnership with the launching last July, on the initiative of President Sarkozy of France, of the Union for the Mediterranean within the Barcelona Process. “Malta believes that this initiative will be a significant milestone in our common efforts to promote security and prosperity in the Euro-Mediterranean region to the equal benefit of all European Union Member States and Mediterranean partners. Malta is looking forward to working constructively with other Members of the Union to address some of the problems which the Mediterranean confronts, including in particular development, food security, water and energy.”

Dr Gonzi said it has been acknowledged that the Millennium Development Goals and the protection of human rights share a number of characteristics which require constant attention. Recent phenomena such as climate change, rising food prices and international financial instability, add further obstacles to the attainment of these goals. Poverty eradication and the achievement of all the Millennium Development Goals are to be priorities of our times which should be addressed in a multidimensional way, both through the conduct of political and economic decision-making as well as through social and environmental factors related to different facets such as culture and gender equality, geography, climate and energy.

“Malta strongly believes that the pledges made at the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000 on the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals remain the overarching objective of our global agenda. Besides being a Signatory to the ‘Call for Action’ launched by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Malta is also actively working to reach its targets for official development assistance set by the European Union,” he said.