PRESS RELEASE BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Maltese delegation participates in the Inter-Parliamentary Conference on EU Foreign and Security Policy

A Maltese parliamentary delegation, composed of Carmelo Abela and Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici, attended the Inter-Parliamentary Conference for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy (IPC CFSP/CSDP) in Copenhagen from 26 to 28 August 2025.

The Conference formed part of the parliamentary dimension of the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and brought together representatives of national parliaments from EU Member States as well as Members of the European Parliament. The sessions were hosted in cooperation with the European Parliament.

Across multiple sessions, the Conference addressed the European Union’s foreign policy priorities, emerging security challenges, and the strategic context of enlargement. It featured contributions from senior political figures including David McAllister, Chair of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, and Benedikta von Seherr-Thoss from the EEAS, as well as the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Yulia Svyrydenko. 

During the debates on the EU’s strategic positioning, including its response to external hybrid threats, the war in Ukraine, and developments in the Middle East and Africa, the Maltese delegation underscored the need for a unified and principled EU foreign policy. During the discussion on the Middle East, Abela said that the EU’s response to the various turbulence in the Middle East is a test on Europe’s relevance and credibility.  He also stated that the Middle East remains a region of strategic importance for the EU, from energy to migration to regional stability. The ongoing crises demand a principled, united and proactive EU approach. While the EU has the capacity and the ability to act and be a relevant player in the Middle East, the EU must also have the political will. Finally, Abela stated that the EU has the possibility, in spite of internal divisions, to achieve a common way forward on the Middle East. During the discussion on migration, Mifsud Bonnici stressed that significant steps have been taken in these fifteen years rationalising the continuing challenges brought about by migration. He reminded those present that today the EU benefits from both the European Union Agency for Asylum and Frontex, which have built expertise allowing member states to prepare plans on handling mixed flows of migration and that it has built tools which allow Member States to face difficulties bearing in mind its democratic values.     

The Conference concluded with a strong call for coordinated, value-based action among EU Member States to uphold Europe’s security, sovereignty, and democratic values in an increasingly complex global environment.