Updated 8.30pm

Robert Abela welcomed US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken into his office in Valletta on Wednesday evening, in the run-up to the start of a high-level OSCE ministerial conference being held in Malta.

Blinken landed at the Malta International Airport sometime before 6pm following a two-day trip to Brussels, where he attended a NATO Foreign Ministers’ Summit.

He is expected to leave Malta late on Thursday. 

On Wednesday Blinken thanked Malta for "stepping in" to head the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe).

"What Malta has done - stepping in at the last minute to take up the chairmanship - is extraordinary... Not only to take it on but to do it so well."

Malta is hosting the OSCE summit as it is currently chairing the organisation, having assumed its leadership at the eleventh hour after Russia vetoed Estonia’s bid to chair it.

The two-day summit will bring together representatives of the organisation’s 57 member states. On Thursday and Friday, the Ministerial Council of the OSCE will discuss the war in Ukraine among others.

To the chagrin of Poland, Lithuania and Estonia, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will also be attending the OSCE conference.

Blinken also commended Malta for its chairmanship of the UN Security Council up until a few months ago.

"The fact you've taken on both of these assignments at the same time speaks volumes," Blinken said, adding that the relationship between Malta and the US has grown stronger and deeper in recent years.

Reacting, Abela said he was "very proud" to have collaborated on the council but wished "we could achieve more".

The US - a veto player in the Security Council - used its powers last April to stop Palestine from joining the UN as a full member. 

That decision, taken during Malta's chairmanship, came despite 12 countries voting in favour of the motion and two abstaining.

Abela also spoke of the strong bilateral relations between the two countries.

"Our robust ties are rooted in shared values and respect for fundamental human rights," he said, adding that these ties included strong economic ties through direct foreign investment of over €2 billion per year.

In a short discussion behind closed doors, the two discussed the Middle East, Ukraine, Libya and transatlantic cooperation. 

Acknowledging the ceasefire in Lebanon, Abela said Malta will continue calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Malta, he added, will remain in favour of a two-state solution.

Abela also referred to the recent attacks on the energy infrastructure in Ukraine, noting the need for a just peace deal.