Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Evarist Bartolo took part in a meeting in Brussels on aid to Palestinian refugees, convened by Jordan and Sweden.

During the meeting, Minister Bartolo said that Malta will continue to assist the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees in helping families, schools, hospitals, and through social assistance and low-interest loans to the five and a half million Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza.

Minister Bartolo said that new efforts were needed to ensure that the Middle East peace process will continue, as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was leading to much suffering, despair, intolerance and violence.

He said there will be no peace and justice until the Palestinians have their sovereign state and Israel and the Palestinians recognise each other’s right to live in security and peace.

Minister Bartolo said that he hoped that the agency will have the money needed to help Palestinian refugees.

“We still live in a world where for every dollar we spend on humanitarian aid, we spend twelve on armaments. While we don’t have enough money to help each other, we find more than enough money to kill each other,” remarked Minister Bartolo.

Minister Evarist Bartolo also met Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini on the work of the agency.