Foreign Minister Michael Frendo said that Kosovo was one of the most important issues facing the European Union and a major challenge which the European Union Common Foreign and Security Policy must successfully address. However, he called for caution with regard to the future status of Kosovo, expressing doubt as to whether Malta would be in a position to recognise a unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo without a United Nations Security Council resolution which endorses it.

Dr Frendo said that, while keeping in view the right to self-determination, even such a United Nations Security Council resolution which endorsed the independence of a state from territory “hived off” from that of another sovereign state without the consent of that state, in itself, would be a very exceptional procedure with possible far-reaching consequences.

Dr Frendo has contacted the chairman of the Foreign Affairs and European Affairs Committee to request an open discussion in that committee on Malta’s stance on the Kosovo issue. He proposed reporting to the committee on developments so far and delineating the options which Malta has in relation to this issue for an open discussion among the members, including opposition members, explaining that he was seeking consultative practical contributions on the issue, including possible scenarios if such negotiations fail.

The minister joined the other foreign ministers in Viana do Castelo in Portugal last Friday and Saturday for the Portuguese presidency’s Gymnich informal meeting of European Union Foreign Ministers, which discussed issues such as EU summits with special reference to the forthcoming EU-Russia summit, Kosovo and the Middle East. The Foreign Ministers of the candidate countries Croatia, Turkey and FYROM joined the other Foreign Ministers of the member states for the working lunch discussion on the Middle East.

Speaking about the forthcoming EU-Russia summit, Dr Frendo said Russia must be seen as a strategic partner and as a country with a long historical and cultural European connection. However, while respecting Russia’s assertiveness, the European Union should be equally assertive when its own interests or those of any of its member states were at stake.