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Foreign Minister meets resident Heads of Mission from Countries, Members of NATO
PR1774
31/10/1996
31/10/1996
| Yesterday afternoon, Wednesday 30 October 1996, the Hon. George | Vella, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Environment, held separate meetings with resident Heads of Mission from countries members of NATO. These included Their Excellencies the Ambassador of Italy H.E. Dr. Marco Colombo, the Ambassador of Spain H.E. Mr. José Manuel Cervera De Góngora, the Ambassador of France H.E. Mr Patrick Amiot, The British High Commissioner H.E. Mr Graham Archer, The Ambassador of Germany H.E. Mr Gerhard Kunz, and the US Chargé d'Affaires Mr. Charles N. Patterson Jr. |
| The aim of the meetings held by the Minister was to explain clearly | the new Government's policy in the wake of distorted reporting and negative interpretations given by the international Media on the Government's fulfillment of its electoral pledge to withdraw from the Partnership for Peace programme. |
| A Note Verbale was handed yesterday at 6.00 p.m. at NATO | Headquarters in Brussels by the Prime Minister's Special Envoy, Mr. Mario Buttigieg, to the Deputy Secretary-General of NATO, H.E. Ambassador S. Balanzino, who was deputising for the Secretary-General H.E. Mr. Solana who was away from Brussels. A copy of the Note Verbale presented is attached to this Press Release. |
| In the course of each meeting, the Minister explained that the | Maltese Government's action was the faithful fulfilling of a political commitment undertaken the moment Malta became a Member of the Programme (26 April 1996); it was also incorporated in its electoral manifesto and repeatedly highlighted in the course of the electoral campaign as one of the major electoral promises. The Government's decision to follow this path was based on its firm conviction that such membership of a programme run and controlled by NATO, a military alliance, was incompatible with the neutrality provisions enshrined in Malta's Constitution. |
| It was therefore essentially a step inspired by a constitutional | requirement and not a political measure to signify the distancing of Malta away from Europe, as mischievously reported by some sections of the international media. During the meetings the Minister emphasised that it was the Government's wish not only to maintain diplomatic relations with NATO but to explore other avenues and modalities of future bilateral and possibly also multilateral cooperation in the field of security. |
| The Minister stressed that, as the Note Verbale made amply | clear, the Government's implementation of its pledge did not prejudge in any way how other countries interpreted the concept of neutrality or weighed the value of their participation in the Partnership for Peace. Malta's neutrality, the Minister emphasised, would serve as a tool by which the Government would be able to enhance to the full its political and economic relations with all its neighbours, to the North and to the South. In this way it looked forward during the mandate given to it by the absolute majority of the Maltese people to contribute in a practical and effective manner towards the promotion of cooperation for the achievement of stability and peace in the Mediterranean. |
| The following is the text of the letter sent by the Ministry | of Foreign Affairs: |
N.V. 1070/96
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS - MALTA
| The Ministry of Foreign Affairs presents its compliments to the | General Secretariat of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and has the honour to refer to the mandate given to the Maltese Government under democratic elections held on the 26th October 1996. |
| In terms of this mandate, further participation by Malta in the | Partnership for Peace Programme organised by NATO is considered to be incompatible with the Constitutional provisions that define Malta's neutrality. |
| When making such a statement, the Malta Government is in no way | implying any judgement about the manner by which other countries define their particular approach to neutrality or how they implement it. Neutrality is a concept that is defined by the geo-political context within which any nation state must operate, and the terms of its application therefore differ from state to state. It is up to the Government of each state to set out the terms of application of neutrality. By means of this Note Verbal, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs that Maltese participation in the Partnership for Peace Programme is herewith being terminated. |
| Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms that it is the | wish of the Malta Government to maintain and enhance full diplomatic relations between the Malta Government and NATO, so long as such relations fully respect Malta's status of neutrality as defined by its constitution. |
| The Ministry of Foreign Affairs avails itself of this opportunity | to renew to the General Secretariat of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation the assurances of its highest consideration. |
L.S.
29 October 1996
The General Secretariat
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
Brussels
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