Malta has urged the European Union to back Libya and warned that persistent fighting in the war-torn north African country is undermining its fight against the spread of COVID-19.

In a video conference call between EU member states’ foreign ministers and EU High Representative Josep Borrell, Foreign Affairs Minister Evarist Bartolo noted that the spread of the coronavirus could lead to severe political, social and economic ramifications in north Africa.

He noted that fighting in Libya also contributed to spikes in irregular migration and underscored the importance of the early deployment of the recently-launched Operation IRINI.

The EU-led operation, which was launched earlier this week, seeks to enforce a United Nations arms embargo in Libya which observers say has been consistently ignored.

Operation IRINI has a one-year renewable mandate and will be headquartered in Rome. The operation it replaces, Sophia, was effectively halted a year ago when Italy’s far-right government said it would not longer accept EU ships dropping off rescued migrants in Italy.

During the EU-wide conference call, Bartolo urged all member states to ensure that NGO vessels which bear their flag and which are currently roaming the Mediterranean observe international law and are reminded of their responsibilities.

Bartolo also used the call to encourage the EU to speed up a Joint Protection Mechanism which will help make medical equipment needed for the fight against the coronavirus available quickly, and reminded other member states that the EU as a whole would be best served if member states showed solidarity, to counteract the perception of narrow interest being portrayed in the supply of medical devices within the EU.