In efforts of continuing to send a clear signal of support to Ukrainians, the Maltese government supports the idea of further discussions on the reconstruction of Ukraine together with international partners, Prime Minister Robert Abela said.
Abela attended meetings with the European Council in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday, along with other European leaders where discussions on the situation in Ukraine, sanctions on Russia, energy, food security and defence were made.
The discussion on Ukraine began with an intervention by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who focused on humanitarian situation in Ukraine and the necessary assistance for the reconstruction of the country's infrastructure.
The EU made a clear commitment in this regard, and the leaders reiterated their call for a ceasefire and peace. Abela said that Malta must continue to send a clear signal of support to the Ukrainian people at this time and supported the idea of discussions on the reconstruction of Ukraine.
The leaders also discussed the sixth package of sanctions and came to an agreement that by the end of 2022, the European Union would have stopped importing 90% of Russian oil. The agreement also includes some temporary exemptions for some countries, such as Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic, which are dependent on Russian oil imported from pipeline.
Abela said that the discussion on the sixth package of sanctions was a long one and that Malta has never objected to the Russian oil embargo.
He said that Malta will continue to further focus on the connectivity of the Maltese Islands with the European energy infrastructure, to enable the country to reap the full potential of the European market.
The European Council also discussed energy, its prices, and the proposal for a long-term plan presented by the European Commission, called REPowerEU. The purpose of this plan is to incentivize and help member states diversify their energy supply.
Abela said that the plan is interesting as it includes, new proposals on how to exploit the potential for energy from the sun. He said that the aim of the Maltese government remains to keep energy prices stable.
Abela said that this plan also includes the possibility of additional European funding to make necessary transitions. He said that Malta will be pushing for its fair share.
On food security, Malta has already introduced aid schemes, and will be providing more direct assistance to farmers through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Abela said.
"The government is currently in discussions on the technical level on the CAP. Our intention is to continue to support our farmers as we have done with the aid on wheat and imports of raw materials. My message at the European Council meeting was on the need to invest, assist and coordinate with partners across the EU on this subject as it is not just a matter of the EU or Malta alone,” he said.
Dr Abela reiterated the Government’s commitment to investing more in the food sector with measures to further protect the sector and
offer more training for the country to have more skilled people in this field.