PRESS RELEASE BY THE OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TOURISM: Deputy Prime Minister Borg chairs the 72nd meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group

Meets King Charles III and Queen Camilla during events marking Commonwealth Day

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Ian Borg, chaired the 72^nd meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), the fifth one since he was elected to this role in October 2024.

The meeting was held last weekend, in the margins of the Commonwealth Day events – Monday 9^th March – as Malta joined the 56 members of this organisation in London to reaffirm a shared commitment to multilateralism and international cooperation in times of unprecedented geopolitical uncertainty.

During the CMAG meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Borg, the nine members of the Group continued to follow the latest developments in several countries within the Commonwealth, including Gabon and Tanzania, among and other countries.

“We must continue guiding and supporting members to safeguard the fundamental values and principles enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter – including democracy, rule of law, human rights and freedom of expression," Dr Borg said, as he commended the Office of Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey for its continued assistance, and thanked the CMAG members for their commitment to the Group's important agenda.

Besides the Maltese Deputy Prime Minister, the other members of CMAG include ministers and other distinguished representatives from Antigua and Barbuda, Botswana, Canada, Grenada, Malaysia, Mauritius, Samoa, and Zambia.

In a concluding statement issued at the end of the meeting, the CMAG members expressed their deep concern about the growing threats to democracy and insisted that “resilient democratic institutions and governance structures, and respect for the rule of law and human rights, are pivotal for sustainable and inclusive economic development, security and for fostering peace".

On Monday, the Deputy Prime Minister Borg joined other Commonwealth members at Westminster Abbey, for a multi-faith service marking the 77^th anniversary of the organisation. During a reception at St James's Palace, Dr Borg also met with King Charles III and Queen Camilla. 

In London, Dr Borg also participated in the 26th Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting (CFAMM), at Lancaster House, which discussed proposals to strengthen the organisation's role in a world in turmoil, towards shared solutions for the prosperity of the 2.7 billion people it represents. 

On the margins of Commonwealth Day, the Maltese Deputy Prime Minister also held bilateral meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Barbuda Affairs of Antigua and Barbuda, Everly Paul Chet Greene, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, Robert Oliphant and the Prime Cabinet Secretary of Kenya Musalia Mudavadi.

Photos: MFT