The opposition said it supports the government’s request to join the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), but should be consulted and kept informed of any developments.

Details were given by PN MP Beppe Fenech Adami on Thursday at a press conference held to present the opposition’s reactions to the budget’s measures in the field of foreign affairs.

He said that Malta’s potential membership of OECD is a big step for the country and requires the appropriate infrastructure and setup to be in place.

Fenech Adami expressed his disappointment that the opposition was not consulted on the issue, urging the government to keep the opposition informed throughout the process.

The PN spokesman criticised the government’s budget measures for failing to address several key issues in the sphere of foreign affairs, including the untapped potential of Maltese living outside of Malta and the “disillusionment” of Malta’s diplomatic corps.

The corps, Fenech Adami claimed, is disappointed to see that the government has adopted the practice of engaging people from outside the corps to serve as ambassadors or top diplomatic positions. While this may be necessary in some cases, it should not be the norm, he said.

Malta-led UN resolution is ‘commendable’

The Malta-led UN resolution calling for “extended humanitarian pauses” in the Israel-Hamas war is a “commendable” initiative, according to PN MP Mario de Marco, who also addressed the press conference.

De Marco called on Malta to exert all the necessary diplomatic pressure on stakeholders including Israel, the US, the Arab League and the EU to do all it can to prevent further loss of life.

Describing the situation as a “humanitarian crisis”, de Marco said that the conflicts risk destabilising the broader Mediterranean region with potentially disastrous consequences.