The United States Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried has expressed her appreciation at the efforts of the Maltese Government on the implementation of the action plan of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the Maltese government said in a statement.

In a phone call with Foreign Affairs Minister Evarist Bartolo, Donfried lauded the government strengthening of good governance in the areas of democracy, the judiciary, finance, and freedom of the press, the government said.

"She also conveyed her appreciation for Malta’s efforts in the field of maritime security to counter blue-collar crime at sea while she also looked forward to working together at the Security Council should Malta’s bid to become an elected member for the period 2023-24 be successful."

Minister Bartolo and Donfried agreed that the United States and Malta should continue to work together wherever technical assistance is needed to strengthen the necessary reforms, the government said. It was also agreed that the two countries would work together for the development of renewable energy and the need to protect the country’s energy sovereignty. 

Minister Bartolo and Donfried called for a diplomatic solution to the situation on the border between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Both agreed that each country should have its sovereignty and security protected without threatening or diminishing the sovereignty and security of another country.