Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will be addressing Malta’s Parliament on Tuesday, Speaker Anġlu Farrugia said on Friday.

Speaking on TVAM, Farrugia said he expected Zelensky to address Malta's lawmakers at 4pm.

Zelensky was invited to address parliament by Foreign Affairs Minister Ian Borg, in a call with his Ukrainian counterpart last month. 

He has made multiple appearances by video link before parliaments in other countries and has also addressed MEPs in the European Parliament on March 1.

In his addresses, he has been urging lawmakers to do more to defend Ukraine as the country battles to repel Vladimir Putin's troops. Russia invaded Ukraine in late February.

Malta's Parliament is currently closed following last month's general election and will start a new legislature on Saturday. 

Farrugia is set to be confirmed as Speaker for a third successive term, and will only need a simple majority vote to continue in that role. The Nationalist Party has indicated it would like a change and has urged the prime minister to hold talks with it on the nomination of a new independent and impartial Speaker.

Farrugia wants reform to parliamentary privilege

Speaking on TVAM, Farrugia called for a reform of the way parliamentary privilege operates. Privilege allows MPs to speak freely, without the risk of legal recourse. But Farrugia said that if people felt aggrieved by something said in parliament, they should have a citizen’s right of reply.

He also called for further changes to Parliament's meeting times, making these more family-friendly as well as for a reduction in the time limits an MP had in which to deliver his speech.