L-Ambaxxatur Maurice Abela jindirizza laqgha tal-Kunsill Permanenti ta' l-Organizzazzjoni ghas-Sigurta' u l-Koperazzjoni fl-Ewropa

F'diskors li ghamel l-Ambaxxatur Maurice Abela f'laqgha tal-Kunsill Permanenti ta' l-Organizzazzjoni ghas-Sigurta' u Ko-operazzjoni fl-Ewropa, huwa esprima d-dizappunt tal-Gvern Malti dwar il-fatt li l-laqgha Ministerjali li se tinzamm f'Copenhagen mhix ser tirrifletti decizjoni dwar il-Mediterran fid-dokument finali. Dan allavolja saru sforzi sostanzjali mhux biss mid-delegazzjoni Maltija izda wkoll minn numru konsiderevoli ta' delegazzjonijiet ohra.

Din il-pozizzjoni sabet l-appogg shih ta' delegazzjonijiet ohra, fosthom dawk ta' Franza, l-Italja, t-Turkija, Spanja, il-Portugall, Cipru, s-Slovenja u l-Grecja. Id-delegazzjoni Kanadiza wkoll esprimiet id-dizappunt taghha ghall-fatt li l-ebda soluzzjoni ma nstabet ghall-partecipazzjoni ahjar tal-Pajjizi Mediterranji mhux membri ta' l-Organizzazzjoni.

L-Isvizzera, li mexxiet in-negozjati dwar il-Mediterran matul il-preparamenti ghal-Laqgha Ministerjali, tat appogg qawwi ghall-pozizzjoni mehuda mill-pajjizi msemmija u esprimiet it-tama li x-xoghol fuq dan l-aspett jitkompla.

Dan li gej hu t-test tad-diskors ta' l-Ambaxxatur Maurice Abela:

"Mr Chairman,

I am instructed to put on record the extreme disappointment of my government that the Copenhagen Ministerial Meeting would not contain any decision on the Mediterranean. This, in spite of substantial efforts not only by my delegation but also by a considerable number of like-minded delegations.

In the run-up to the Lisbon Summit this delegation had also battled unsuccessfully to have a decision on the Mediterranean. There was, however, a solemn declaration by the Heads of State and Government, and I quote: "We are committed to further developing the dialogue with our Mediterranean partners for co-operation, Japan and the Republic of Korea. In this context, strengthening security and co-operation in the Mediterranean is important for stability in the OSCE region" unquote.

My authorities entered an interpretative statement in the Journal of the day of the Lisbon Summit Meeting that paragraph 24 of the Lisbon Declaration concerning the OSCE relations with the Mediterranean partners for co-operation is interpreted as a commitment and a mandate to develop such a relationship. My authorities also reserved the right to continue negotiating the issue in Vienna.

My delegation placed proposals on the table of the Permanent Council and the FSC immediately we resumed our work in Vienna after the Lisbon Summit. In the twelve months that elapsed since then neither the Chairman of the Permanent Council nor the Chairman of the FSC could find a consensus even to discuss them.

Lately meetings of like-minded countries under the Chairmanship of the Chairperson of the Contact Group produced a non-paper which contained a feeble first step towards "further developing the dialogue" as mandated by the Lisbon Summit. Yet as a result of corridor consultations the paper did not even reach this meeting.

Mr Chairman,

The Mediterranean has always been an important element in Malta's foreign policy, particularly in the context of the OSCE, for successive Maltese administrations. Our insistence that the Mediterranean Partners be given access to our deliberations is motivated by our security considerations.

My Government is convinced of the necessity to invite the MPCs to attend regular formal meetings of the Permanent Council, of the FSC and of the Security Model Committee. This would be a concrete project of co-operation par excellance. It would expose these countries to the values we all cherish and to the techniques adopted for their implementation. It is such an exposure that may, in time, enable them to share fully our values and feel the need for their implementation. This would be the most important contribution of the OSCE to strengthen security in the Mediterranean. It would contribute to the security of my country and to the stability of the OSCE region. Let us all recall the Helsinki 1992 declaration that "strengthening security and co-operation in the Mediterranean is important for stability in the CSCE region."

My delegation expects to see the work done on the non-paper reflected in the Chairman's statement expressing the hope that during the course of next year delegations will co-operate to improve the dialogue with the Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation.

Thank you, Mr Chairman."