Europe must be just as steadfast in calling for peace in Gaza as it is about standing up for Ukraine, Owen Bonnici told socialists gathered in Romania this past weekend.

“Just as we stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine, we must demand a two-state solution in the Middle East that allows Israel and Palestine live together and side-by-side,” Bonnici said.

 The minister was speaking at a conference of the Party of European Socialists held in Bucharest, to an audience that included German Chancellor Olaf Schultz and European Commissioner Nicholas Schmit.

He was asked how socialists across the continent could promote a value-driven foreign policy. 

"The most important value is to actively pursue peace," Malta's culture minister said, as he called for European socialists to make their voices heard when it comes to conflict in Gaza. 

A peaceful two-state solution there "is an ideal that as a value-driven Europe we should push forward," he said. 

Bonnici said the EU had to base its foreign policy on social justice principles, as those give the EU its identity while also helping it drive change.

"Foreign policy, in my view, must be value-driven. Economically, we believe we must have a fair Europe. In terms of the environment, we must be socially-oriented to make sure people with lesser means also enjoy the best environment. Technologically, innovations must trickle down to everyone," he said.