Religious intolerance has to be challenged through dialogue and debate, not the closing of doors to the outsider or the foreigner, Foreign Minister Carmelo Abela insisted.

He was participating in the second Annual Ministerial Meeting to Advance Religious Freedom in Washington DC organised by the US Department of State. 
 
He emphasised that countries must stay united and determined as there was an increase in the number of recent tragic events related anti-Semitism, fundamentalism, extremism and additional hate crimes based on religious motives.  
“We believe that freedom of religion or belief should not be allowed to be affected by politics and fluctuating social attitudes. It is part of the role of every state to ensure this does not happen,” he said. 

During his intervention, the minister explained how Malta was dealing with the issue: “Malta is committed to protecting the human rights of all people, in particular members of minority groups and individuals that find themselves vulnerable situations. This commitment is a result of several years of grappling with large numbers of asylum seekers or refugees arriving to our shores.”
 
Malta is working on setting up a national human rights institution in line with the Paris Principles via two initiatives: the Human Rights and Equality Commission and the Equality Act.