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FOREIGN MINISTER IN BRUSSELS TO PARTICIPATE IN EU COMBINED MEETING OF MINISTERS OF DEFENCE AND OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
20/11/2001
Foreign Minister, Joe Borg is in Brussels to participate in the Capabilities Improvement Conference, being organized by the Belgian Presidency of the European Union. Dr Joe Borg delivered a statement on behalf of the Prime Minister, at a combined meeting of the Ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs of member states, candidate states, as well as Norway and Iceland.
During this morning’s meeting, Foreign Minister Joe Borg was accompanied by Mr J.R Grima, Permanent Secretary OPM; Colonel Vassallo, Deputy Commander of the Armed Forces of Malta; Mr Joe Caruana of the Defence section of the Office of the Prime Minister and Mr Patrick Tabone, Personal Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Dr Joe Borg is expected to return to Malta later this evening.
Statement by the Hon Dr. Joe Borg,
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malta
at the
Capabilities Improvement Conference
Brussels, 20 November 2001
Mr President,
| I will be making my intervention both on my behalf | and on behalf of the Maltese Prime Minister who is Malta’s Minister of Defence. |
| This conference comes at a most demanding and | challenging juncture for the international community in general, and the European Union in particular. |
| The Union’s response has incorporated the | associated countries in a determined and innovative manner within the CFSP framework and beyond, providing us, in the process, with a valuable insight of how to deal with such issues on a day-to-day basis in an enlarged Union. |
| For its part Malta has stepped up its actions in | pursuit of an effective implementation of anti-terrorism measures, including compliance with Security Council Resolution 1373 and the ratification of all the relevant conventions |
| Over the past year, the Armed Forces of Malta have | taken up the challenge of the EU Headline goal with enthusiasm. |
| As announced last year, Malta’s pledge will be | implemented in collaboration with Italy. The Armed Forces of Malta is therefore negotiating arrangements whereby the Maltese troops on deployment with the EU Rapid Reaction Force will make use of the Italian logistic supply chain. Particular attention is being given to ensure that this equipment will enable the Armed Forces of Malta to be interoperable with the Italian Armed Forces. |
| The training for the Petersberg tasks has been | intensified. By making good use of the expertise of the Italian Military Mission stationed in Malta, our Armed Forces have embarked upon an ambitious programme of combined exercises, organized for this purpose on a bilateral basis. |
| The Italian Military Mission has also helped with the | running of specialised courses for Maltese personnel who will be involved in the Petersberg tasks, with particular reference to the interaction with local authorities and NGOs in foreign countries. |
| The Armed Forces of Malta already fall into the | category of a professional army as its members are not conscripted. In the next few weeks new recruits will be joining the ranks of the Maltese Armed Forces, after a rigorous selection process. Many of these recruits will be posted to the units earmarked to provide the troops that will be required to meet Malta’s pledge towards the Rapid Reaction Force. |
| The Armed Forces of Malta is aiming at having two, | possibly three, fully trained infantry platoons ready for the Rapid Reaction Force by the end of 2002, and a further two platoons by the end of 2003. This will allow for rotational replacement of troops every four months. Government is fully committed to this project and has allocated the necessary funds to bring it to fruition. |
| Maintaining a co-ordinated approach is in our view | essential as the Union’s Security and Defence Policy continues to develop in the years ahead. The same political strength that provided a renewed impetus to strive for specific and far-reaching common goals over recent weeks must be preserved and built upon. |
| Malta is fully committed, together with present and | future members of the Union, to work towards progress on different fronts in the realisation of this endeavour. |
Thank you.
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