PRESS RELEASE BY THE OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TOURISM: Malta to offer training to Palestinian Authority civil servants

Deputy Prime Minister Borg addresses first Ministerial meeting of the Palestine Donor Group in Brussels

Malta is offering to provide training programmes for Palestinian civil servants, as it continues to support the Palestinian Authority towards the implementation of the two-state solution in Palestine and Israel.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Ian Borg announced this initiative when he was addressing the first ministerial plenary of the Palestine Donor Group, which was held on the sidelines of the November meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, in Brussels, on Thursday afternoon. Co-chaired by the European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica, and the Prime Minister of the State of Palestine Mohammad Mustafa, the Palestine Donor Group brought together EU member states, key regional actors and other international partners to support the Palestinian Authority in its ongoing reforms.

Dr Borg explained that while Malta continues to help the people of Palestine through UN agencies and other humanitarian organisations, as part of the Palestine Donor Group initiative, it is now offering to provide capacity-building programmes to Palestinian Authority civil servants, through the Maltese Government's Institute for the Public Services. “Institutional state building remains an imperative component for effective governance by the Palestinian Authority, towards the implementation of the two-state solution, and Malta will duly contribute towards this end," he affirmed.

The Maltese Deputy Prime Minister noted that following recent developments, including September's UN high-level international conference on the two-state solution, the ceasefire in Gaza, and the UN Security Council's approval of the US-led Gaza Peace Plan, there can be no better time for progress and change.

“The Palestinian Authority requires our continued support to drive through its reform agenda, towards effective governance, institutional state building and the delivery of basic services and public infrastructures. This would in turn restore its democratic legitimacy, accountability and credibility. The Palestine Donor Group provides us with the perfect opportunity to do just this - empowering the Palestinian people to achieve their aspirations of a Palestinian State co-existing side-by-side with Israel," said Ian Borg.

Earlier on Thursday, during the Foreign Affairs Council meeting, Malta welcomed this week's launch of the Pact for the Mediterranean as an opportunity for the EU to reinvigorate its partnership with key neighbouring partners in the Mediterranean region.

Deputy Prime Minister Borg also talked about ongoing EU efforts to address the threat of the Russian shadow fleet, and its impact on the effectiveness of sanctions targeting Russia's aggression against Ukraine. “As a maritime state, Malta understands both the promise and the fragility of the sea. We stand ready to work with all partners to strengthen maritime security and ensure that sanctions against Russia are enforced effectively, disrupting shadow fleet operations whilst reinforcing Europe's role as a credible maritime actor," he stated.

Photos: ODPM-MFT