Malta’s neutrality is to be respected by the European Union in decisions taken with regard to the bloc’s defence, the conclusions of the European Council’s meeting in Brussels indicate.

In the chapter that speaks of the EU’s help to Ukraine, the council concluded that “military support and EU security commitments will be provided in full respect of the security and defence policy of certain Member States and taking into account the security and defence interests of all Member States.”

With regard to security and defence, the summit conclusions say that the European Union is committed to increasing its overall defence readiness and capabilities to match its needs and ambition in the context of rising threats and security challenges.

The European defence technological and industrial base should be strengthened accordingly across the Union, the conclusions say. Increasing defence readiness and enhancing the Union’s sovereignty will require additional efforts to, among other things, fulfil the shared commitment to substantially increase defence expenditure, and invest better and faster together.

A stronger and more capable European Union in the field of security and defence will contribute positively to global and transatlantic security and is complementary to NATO, which remains the foundation of collective defence for its members, the conclusions said.

It is however specified that the above is without prejudice to the specific character of the security and defence policy of certain Member States, and takes into account the security and defence interests of all Member States.

Malta, through Prime Minister Robert Abela, had insisted that the different positions of the member states had to be respected.

In his address to the council, he also referred to the fact that we need to be aware of the fact that the decisions we take today are not considered rash in a few years’ time.