Il-Ministeru ta' l-Affarijiet Barranin iwiegeb lill-Onor. George Vella dwar is-sanzjonijiet imposti kontra l-Jugoslavja / Foreign Affairs Ministry replies to speech by the Hon. George Vella on the sanctions imposed on Jugoslavia

B'referenza ghad-diskors ta' l-Onor.George Vella fil-Parlament waqt l-aggornament fit-12 ta' Mejju rigward il-pozizzjoni ta' Malta fuq is-sanzjonijiet imposti fuq il-Repubblika Federali tal-Jugoslavja, il-Ministeru ta' l-Affarijiet Barranin jistqarr illi:

Fil-gimghat li ghaddew il-kommunita' internazzjonali kienet xiehda ta' tragedja umanitarja ta' proporzjon enormi. Il-pubbliku lokali u internazzjonali seta' jara mijiet ta' eluf ta' familji maqlughin minn darhom, fi triqithom lejn destinazzjonijiet mhux maghrufa. Fl-istess hin, rapporti ta' massakri u sahansitra stupri ddominaw l-ahbarijiet.

L-ghajta ta' dawn il-popli messet il-qlub ta' miljuni ta' nies madwar id-dinja. Malta mhix eccezzjoni ghad-dinja. Fid-dawl ta' dan kollu, il-poplu Malti, ghal darb' ohra, mexa bil-generosita' li hija karatteristika tieghu. Il-Gvern ifahhar l-isforzi kbar li saru lokalment f'dawn l-ahhar gimghat sabiex itaffu t-tbatija li giet ikkawzata bil-krizi tal-Kosovo.

Fl-istess hin, il-Gvern Malti ddecida li jiehu pozizzjoni mhux intiza kontra l-poplu Serb, izda wahda konsistenti mal-politika tieghu favur it-tfittxija ta' paci gusta u dejjiema fir-regjun. Flimkien ma' disgha u ghoxrin Gvern Ewropew, fosthom sitt pajjizi newtrali, Malta jidhrilha li ma tistax tibqa' passiva, izda ghandha tiehu pozizzjoni, li filwaqt li thares il-principju tan-newtralita' tal-pajjiz, thares ukoll il-principji tar-respett lejn id-drittijiet tal-bniedem u l-harsien ta' l-ordni li huma wkoll sisien li fuqhom hija msejsa il-Kostituzzjoni Maltija u dik ta' kull stat demokratiku.

Ghall-kuntrarju, l-Oppozizzjoni jihrilha illi ghandha tikkuntenta illi tibqa' passiva u li tabbuza mill-kuncett tan-newtralita' sabiex ma taghmel xejn u ma tiehux pozizzjoni.

Malta hija stat li jhaddan attivament politika ta' newtralita', li tfittex il-paci, sigurta' u progress socjali fost in-nazjonijiet. Ghaldaqstant, pajjizna wkoll ghandu l-jedd u d-dmir li jsemma lehnu u li jiehu kull pozizzjoni mehtiega fil-parametri tal-Kostituzzjoni tieghu, kemm jekk din il-pozizzjoni tkun specifikament imnedija mill-Gnus Maghquda u kemm jekk le.

Ghaldaqstant, il-Ministeru ta' l-Affarijiet Barranin jichad kategorikament li l-pozizzjoni tal-Gvern Malti tikser b'xi mod il-Kostituzzjoni.

Foreign Affairs Ministry replies to speech by the Hon. George Vella on the sanctions imposed on Jugoslavia

With reference to the Hon. George Vella's speech in Parliament during adjournment on the 12th May regarding Malta's position on the sanctions imposed on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would like to state that:

In recent weeks the international community has been witness to a humanitarian tragedy of massive proportions. We have witnessed daily images of hundreds of thousands of men, women and children, uprooted from their homes, walking hundreds of kilometres to unknown destinations, while reports of rapes and massacres have dominated the media.

The plight of these people has touched the hearts of millions around the world. Malta is no exception. The Maltese people have, once again, responded with characteristic generosity. Government applauds the local efforts in recent weeks to alleviate the suffering unfolding in and around Kosovo.

The Government of Malta has decided to take a specific stand, directed not against the Serbian people, but aimed at achieving an equitable and lasting peace in the region. Together with 29 other European Governments, five of which are neutral, Malta feels that in the face of a tragedy such as the present one, our reaction should not be a passive one, but one based on an active neutrality that upholds the principles of respect for human rights and the rule of law which are at the heart of our Constitution and that of any truly democratic state.

The Opposition, on the other hand, appears to be content to sit on the fence and misuse the concept of neutrality as a convenient pretext for its inaction.

Malta is a neutral state actively pursuing peace, security and social progress among all nations and therefore has a right and a duty to make its voice heard, and to take any position it deems necessary within the bounds of its Constitution, whether this is specifically sanctioned by the United Nations or not.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs therefore categorically denies that Malta's position in any way violates the Constitution of Malta.