Prime Minister Robert Abela has defended Malta's role on the international stage, highlighting the country's positions on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, artificial intelligence, climate change and economic investment, while Opposition Leader Alex Borg accused the government of failing to uphold the same principles at home.
Addressing Parliament on Monday, Abela reported on his participation in the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York between 21 and 26 September.
He said his first engagement was a meeting with the Maltese and Gozitan community in New York, which he described as one of the highlights of his visit. He praised members of the diaspora for maintaining their Maltese identity and said many had highlighted the importance of the direct Delta Airlines flight between Malta and New York in facilitating regular visits to Malta.
Abela said Malta had continued to promote dialogue, peace and multilateralism in its international engagements.
On Russia's war against Ukraine, he reiterated Malta's support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity following Russia's invasion in February 2022. He said Malta had expressed the same commitment to peaceful solutions in the Middle East, with the country continuing to support a two-state solution.
The Prime Minister also addressed the Concordia Annual Summit, where he spoke about economic growth, trade and the importance of maintaining economies that are open, resilient and capable of creating opportunities.
Abela said Malta's economy was attracting respect internationally, claiming that investors he met in New York had remarked on the country's economic development in recent years.
Artificial intelligence was another major theme of his visit. Abela participated in a high-level meeting convened by France, Spain and Kenya on children's rights in the age of AI, where he said the discussion focused on both the opportunities created by the technology and the responsibility to ensure that its development remains secure and reliable.
He also took part in the sixth summit of the International Crimea Platform, where he reaffirmed Malta's support for Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was also present at the summit.
Climate change, particularly rising sea levels, was another issue raised by Abela. He said the issue was particularly significant for Malta as a small island state surrounded by the sea, describing it as an existential concern.
The Prime Minister also referred to a meeting he held with Minister for the Economy Silvio Schembri and representatives of BlackRock. He said discussions focused on Malta's economic environment, attracting further high-quality investment and the possibility of investment in the country's infrastructure.
In his address to the UN General Assembly, Abela argued that a major challenge facing the international community was a loss of trust between citizens and institutions and between countries.
He said the answer could not be less international cooperation or dialogue, but rather greater cooperation and stronger alliances to find common solutions.
Abela devoted part of his speech to the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. On Gaza, he described the situation as "very ugly" and said the international community could not remain silent.
He called for unrestricted humanitarian access, an end to illegal settlements and violence in the West Bank, and a credible and reformed Palestinian Authority capable of supporting a peace process leading towards a two-state solution.
Artificial intelligence also featured prominently in his UN address. Abela acknowledged that governments did not yet have all the answers to the challenges posed by AI, partly because of the speed at which the technology was developing.
He argued that these challenges could not be addressed by individual countries and called for international rules aimed at strengthening public trust in technology.
The Prime Minister linked AI to wider cybersecurity concerns, including disinformation and the protection of critical infrastructure such as underwater cables, on which island states such as Malta depend.
'Trust must also exist at home,' says Alex Borg
In his response, Opposition Leader Alex Borg focused heavily on Abela's comments about trust, accusing the Prime Minister of saying one thing internationally while acting differently domestically.
Borg said it was "ironic" that Abela spoke about restoring trust internationally while, in his view, failing to implement recommendations arising from the public inquiry into the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
He accused the government of repeatedly rejecting recommendations intended to strengthen Malta's institutions, despite Abela having expressed a willingness to implement them five years ago.
On Ukraine, Borg said the Opposition stood in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and condemned Russian aggression. He said Malta should support every initiative capable of bringing about peace.
Borg also addressed the situation in Gaza, saying the same principles of human dignity should apply when discussing the suffering of Palestinians.
He called for a lasting peace in the Middle East based on Israel and Palestine existing as two sovereign states, while arguing that the killing of civilians must stop and humanitarian aid must reach those in need.
At the same time, Borg said Palestinians deserved transparent and effective leadership that was free from Hamas. He also condemned the October 7 2023 attacks on Israel, saying terrorism could never provide a path to peace.
The Opposition Leader broadly echoed the Prime Minister's concerns about artificial intelligence, saying the technology was transforming the way people work, learn and live.
He said AI could create significant opportunities, particularly for young people, but argued that governments had a responsibility to ensure technological development served the public interest.
Borg called for clear rules and international cooperation to protect human rights in the development and use of AI.
Climate change was another point of agreement between the two leaders, although Borg used the issue to criticise the government's domestic record.
He said Malta's credibility internationally depended on what it did at home, arguing that the country needed greater investment in renewable energy and infrastructure capable of meeting the demands of a growing population.
Borg pointed to this summer's electricity outages as an example of what he described as the gap between the government's international commitments and the reality experienced by Maltese families.
He said elderly people, families with young children and businesses had been left without electricity for hours during periods of extreme heat.
"The government has the responsibility to plan for a country which is growing," Borg said, warning that population growth would inevitably bring increased demand for infrastructure and essential services.