PRESS RELEASE BY THE OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TOURISM Deputy Prime Minister Borg meets with Austria Foreign Minister Meinl-Reisinger

Malta stands in solidarity with Austria following Tuesday’s school shooting in Graz

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Ian Borg, held talks with the Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria Beate Meinl-Reisinger, in Vienna, on Wednesday.

During the meeting, Dr Borg expressed Malta’s solidarity with Austria, following Tuesday’s tragic school shooting in Graz, as he offered his condolences to the families and friends of the victims, including students and teachers. “Schools should never be a place of bloodshed, and no stone should be left unturned, as together we continue supporting our communities across the world, to shield children and youth from such dreadful experiences,” he affirmed.

Dr Borg and Mag. Meinl-Reisinger discussed regional and EU matters, including the latest developments on stability and security in Europe and neighbouring regions. “We share a common endeavour to strengthen the international multilateral system with the UN at its core, as we continue to support all meaningful efforts towards peace and security,” Dr Borg stated.

In Vienna, the Maltese Deputy Prime Minister also held talks with the Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafeal Mariano Grossi, to underscore the crucial role of the Agency in global non-proliferation and to discuss its ongoing work on related challenges in Iran and Ukraine. 

He thanked the IAEA for supporting Malta through its Country Programme Framework, with cooperation in cancer treatment and nuclear medicine, cultural heritage, water management and radiation protection. 

During the meeting, Dr Borg also announced that Malta is providing a financial contribution to the IAEA’s Marie-Curie Sklodowska Fellowship Programme, which provides scholarships and internships to encourage young women to pursue careers in nuclear sciences.  

On Thursday, in his role as the President of the Ministerial Committee of the Council of Europe, Deputy Prime Minister Borg will be addressing the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), to outline the priorities of the 2025 Maltese Presidency of the Council of Europe.