Abela urges UN chief to keep Libya in mind

Robert Abela met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York on Friday, on the fringes of the annual General Assembly.

The two discussed various issues of common interest but high on the agenda was Libya, the government noted in a statement concerning the meeting.

Malta’s prime minister urged the UN chief to do his utmost to ensure that Libyans were given the help they need, both in the aftermath of the devastation caused by flooding in the recent weeks and also in the longer term to ensure they enjoyed a peaceful and stable country.

Abela and Guterres also discussed other points of common interest, with Guterres complimenting Malta for its work on the UN Security Council. Malta’s prime minister was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne and Foreign Affairs Minister Ian Borg.

Malta currently holds one of the Security Council’s non-permanent rotating seats and served as the council’s president for a month earlier this year.

Abela addressed the council earlier this week, using the speech to reiterate Malta’s condemnation for Russian aggression in Ukraine and calling on it to adhere to principles of the UN Charter.

Speaking at the General Assembly on Friday, Abela emphasised that Malta’s neutrality “has never meant Malta ignoring problems” and called on world leaders to build a new ‘Age of Security’ to find solutions to global issues.