The Maltese and Palestinian foreign ministries have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening the ties between both states.
Foreign Minister Michael Frendo yesterday said Malta was “willing and desirous” to continue helping in the building of a Palestine State.
After a bilateral meeting with Palestinian foreign minister Riad Malki, the two ministers signed a memorandum of understanding on consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malta and that of Palestine in a bid to strengthen the historical ties of friendship and cooperation between them for the benefit of their peoples and countries and for the realisation of common objectives based on the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
Both ministries stress the importance of conducting regular consultations and meetings on an annual basis and in rotation in both countries on bilateral co-operation and regional and international issues of common interest.
These consultations shall include issues concerning the organisation of cooperation in the political sphere; issues of regional and international security cooperation and issues of common interest that are dealt with by regional organisations in which both countries are members.
Opening the plenary session of the European Union-Arab League meeting which was held in Malta in the past two days, Frendo spoke about the way “we can work closer together for the interest of our citizens”.
Frendo highlighted energy and climate change as important topics before the delegates. “Climate change affects all, both producers and consumers of energy. Working together to find alternative ways of energy is very important.”
A presentation on this topic was given by Michael Zammit Cutajar, Malta’s Ambassador on Climate Change and Vice Chairman of the ‘Ad Hoc’ Working Group for Long-Term Cooperative Action under the UN Convention on Climate Change.
Frendo co-chaired the conference together with Slovenia, which holds the EU Presidency and Saudi Arabia as the Chair of the Arab League. The idea for the EU-Arab League Meeting, also known as The Malta Initiative, was launched by Foreign Minister Michael Frendo in September 2006. 46 countries were represented at the meeting, most of them with their Ministers of Foreign Affairs or Deputy Ministers.

Malta-Cyprus protocol
Malta and Cyprus yesterday also signed a protocol on reinforced cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malta and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus. Michael Frendo and Cypriot Foreign Minister Arato Kazakou-Marcouillis, signed the agreement.
The protocol is aimed to deepen and widen cooperation and dialogue between both countries on issues falling within respective ministries such as those pertaining to bilateral, regional and international issues which are of common interest. The protocol also refers to dialogue and consultations on issues related to the European Union and the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership.
Both sides also agreed to hold regular consultations between respective ministries and to monitor the implementation of existing agreements and propose the negotiation and conclusion of new agreements.