Malta secures BP LNG agreement until May, Robert Abela says

Malta has secured a supply of liquefied natural gas from BP that will last until May 2027, Robert Abela said on Sunday.

Speaking by phone during a programme on ONE on Sunday, Abela said the agreement with BP (formerly British Petroleum) would ensure the provision of energy supplies beyond August, when a separate, current agreement is due to expire.

“[BP] has guaranteed a provision at a competitive and good price, and this deal will be in place until the end of May next year,” he said.

The Prime Minister said a narrative had been built during the election campaign that the government did not have a plan to avert a potential energy crisis after August.

Fears over energy supplies have grown as the Iran war progressed, amid concern that Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas supply passes, could lead to widespread energy shortages across Europe.

Abela acknowledged that the agreement had been reached during a challenging geopolitical period, with the market remaining “volatile”.

However, he said the deal was possible because of the decisive approach taken by his parliamentary group, particularly Energy Minister Miriam Dalli.

The Prime Minister was speaking a day after the opening of Parliament for this legislature.

He said this was “the shortest period” between the end of an election and the opening of Parliament because “this is a legislature that has many challenges”.

Speaking on Father’s Day, Abela also said one of the first issues the legislature would address was accessibility to IVF.

The Prime Minister said he still believed more could be done to ensure parents could access the best technology and medical developments locally.

“The right to become a parent is just that, a right, not a choice,” he said.

Abela also spoke about the government’s plans for further equality reforms.

This year, Malta dropped to second place in the European index that measures LGBTIQ protection and human rights, with Spain taking the top spot.

Malta had held first place in the 49-country ranking for 10 years.

The Prime Minister said he wanted Malta to return to number one “not based on numbers but on principles”, as equality was a pillar of his political party.

He also referred to recent comments by PN MP Conrad Borg Manché about Pride and whether such events highlight differences in the community.

Abela said comments suggesting that gay pride should not be celebrated were “a big mistake because the second you accept that reasoning is the second you are moving backwards”.

He said the Opposition “pretends to believe in equality” and had taken a step backwards as a party.