The UN Secretary General has paid tribute to Roberta Metsola for her promotion of humanitarian law, democracy and human rights. 

Antonio Guterres visited the European Parliament in Brussels on Thursday where he met with EU leaders ahead of an EU Council summit.  

“It is a great pleasure to pay tribute to the European Parliament and your fundamental role not only in the European Union but in affirming the values that are essential to this world. Respect for the charter of international law [especially] humanitarian law, for democracy, and for human rights,“ Guterres told Metsola.

Speaking shortly after, Guterres warned that Hamas's October 7 massacre and Israel's "collective punishment" of the population of Gaza, as well as Russia's invasion of Ukraine, was a challenge to global security and human rights must not be underestimated.

EU leaders will grapple at a summit on Thursday with how to get more weapons to Ukraine's outgunned forces while also re-arming their own countries to face Russia's Vladimir Putin.

The meeting between Guterres and the European Parliament president comes days after Prime Minister Robert Abela accused Metsola of being a warmonger after she called for the EU to increase its budget to strengthen Europe's defence in the wake of international political developments. 

The prime minister, who is also in Brussels for the EU summit, said Metsola was fomenting conflict by suggesting the purchase of more weapons, instead of insisting on bringing about peace.