Malta is limited in size and resources, but it can make a valid contribution to the global shared responses that may be required, Labour leader Alfred Sant said yesterday, launching the Labour Party’s draft vision statement on foreign policy.

The vision statement, Malta’s future role in foreign affairs: proactive and dynamic, drafted by Leo Brincat, the Labour Party’s main spokesman on foreign affairs and information technology, focuses on Malta’s relationship with non-EU states, as the Labour Party distinguishes between Malta’s relationship with fellow EU states and that with other countries, said Dr Sant.

The MLP leader said that a new Labour government would embark on a proactive foreign policy that would rely on both political and economic diplomacy.

He said the leaders of a number of EU states operated on three main pillars for their country’s development: finance, EU affairs and information and communication technology, and this was the way the Labour Party believed Malta should operate.

The vision statement reaffirms that neutrality has never been more relevant than it is in the 21st century.

In its statement, the MLP declares that, should it be elected to government, it “shall work for international cooperation, conflict negotiation and conflict resolution leading to democratic social change and respect for human rights, universal demilitarisation and nuclear disarmament without the need to either integrate ourselves in the EU Rapid Reaction Force or NATO’s Partnership for Peace”.

Moreover, “if Maltese troops are to serve abroad in peace-keeping forces they will only do so on a strictly voluntary basis, under the auspices of the United Nations, and only with prior parliamentary approval”.

Dr Sant also made reference to the changing economic scenario in countries such as Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco which, he said, should be perceived as new opportunities that Maltese stakeholders should be encouraged to look into.

While the Labour Party was committed to maximising the benefits of EU membership and minimising the negative effects, in its vision statement the MLP says that it will seek to enhance the Maltese language, culture and traditions with Maltese communities overseas.

The Labour leader added that Malta must keep abreast of the globalisation process, particularly vis-à-vis fast-emerging economies such as China.

Mr Brincat said the Labour Party’s commitment to peace in the Middle East would be based on a road map to put relations with Maghreb countries on a stronger footing, while revitalising diplomatic, political and economic ties with the Mashrek and Arabian Gulf countries.

Relations with Israel should be developed on various fronts, independent of Maltese support for a multilateral disengagement process in the region.

In order to widen the participatory level in the formulation and implementation of the country’s foreign policy, the Labour Party wants to hold consultations on the non-European aspect of the country’s foreign policy with social partners and NGOs on a regular basis.

The MLP also wants to recommend that the Foreign and European Affairs Committee should regularly invite Maltese Ambassadors resident abroad to brief and update its members on their endeavours, in order to strengthen the link between political and parliamentary diplomacy.

Mr Brincat said a comprehensive plan would also be drawn up regarding Maltese embassies and missions abroad, to ensure their most cost-efficient use.

With regard to irregular migration, the Labour Party vision statement focuses on the fact that solutions should take account of the immense pressures that have been created on the country’s physical capacity to deal with the problems arising from this situation, while taking into consideration Malta’s international obligations.

The vision statement concludes that the country’s biggest challenge in addressing diplomacy today is that of delivering results in a world of changing priorities, and the vision statement must be kept under constant review due to the ever-changing socio-economic and geopolitical landscape.

Mr Brincat said the Labour Party was proposing that the country publishes an annual report on issues at the United Nations and on Malta’s voting record on these issues.