Prime Minister and Labour Party leader Robert Abela joined fellow Prime Ministers in addressing the PES meeting in Brussels prior to the EU Council Summit on Thursday.

The meeting took the shape of a strategic discussion ahead the Special European Council meeting on defence and support for Ukraine.

In his intervention, PM Abela reflected upon the value of Malta's neutrality especially in poignant moments like the current shifting scenario in global politics. The Prime Minister emphasized the need for prioritising investment in our people as opposed to armaments.

Robert Abela was joined by EUCO President António Costa, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, PES President Stefan Löfven, S&D Group President Iratxe García, Prime Minister of Lithuania Gintautas Paluckas, Austrian Vice-Chancellor Andreas Babler.

PES leaders also welcomed Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, recently elected Vice-Chancellor Andreas Babler, and Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov to their first PES preparation meeting in their new roles and thanked Olaf Scholz for his time as German Chancellor.

Prime Minister Abela was accompanied by Labour Party International Secretary, John Grech.