The Mediterranean should no longer be seen as a corridor of compromise, but a "community of courage", Speaker of the House of Representatives, Anġlu Farrugia, said in his address at the Ninth Summit of Speakers Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (PA-UfM) in Málaga. Mr Speaker appealed for peace, justice, and responsible parliamentary leadership in the face of escalating regional tensions.

The Mediterranean is not a buffer zone; it is the bloodstream of Europe, he said, whilst warning that regional instability, from Gaza to Ukraine, is testing Europe's moral and political coherence. "There will be no peace in the Mediterranean, unless Europe itself is just, united, and whole," Speaker Farrugia said.

In his address, he also outlined four key proposals to reinvigorate the region's peace-building agenda:

A Mediterranean Youth and Climate Corps - empowering young people through cross-border civic service in sustainability, education, and civil protection;

A Parliamentary Mechanism on Media Freedoms and Political Prisoners - to monitor violations and uphold democratic standards;

A Shared Resilience Framework - fostering cooperation on renewable energy, water security, and food supply;

An Extraordinary PA-UfM Session - to urgently address the Israel-Iran confrontation and prevent a broader regional war.

Citing the incident of 23 June, in which missiles passed over Qatari airspace which is a state not party to any conflict. Speaker Farrugia warned that even non-belligerent states are now within range, indicating that there is no longer a safe distance. "Neutrality and sovereignty are under threat," he concluded.

The Summit of Speakers precedes the plenary of the PA UfM which will take place tomorrow. Together with Speaker Anġlu Farrugia, the Maltese parliamentary delegation includes also Carmelo Abela, Head of the Maltese Parliamentary delegation to the PA UfM and Anthony Bezzina who are participating in the Committees of this Parliamentary Association.