BK Scholz: Ladies and gentlemen, it is a great pleasure for me to receive today the Prime Minister of Malta, Robert Abela. Welcome, dear Robert, here to the Federal Chancellery.
Our conversation clearly showed how good and trustworthy relations between Malta and Germany are. Malta shares our commitment to multilateralism, international law and the United Nations. It is currently actively represented there as a non-permanent member of the Security Council.
The successful resolution in the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East was largely due to the initiative of Malta. Germany and Malta agree: we strongly condemn the terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel. Israel has the right to defend itself and the lives of its citizens under international law. At the same time, we see the suffering of the Palestinians, who are also victims of Hamas. We are firmly committed to improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
It is very good news that, after weeks of fear, Hamas has now released the hostages, including a number of German citizens. I would like to thank the governments involved, who made this agreement possible and with whom we have worked closely. It is also clear that this can only be the beginning. We remain committed to the release of all hostages; Hamas must release them. At the same time, of course, we are using the ceasefire in Gaza to provide humanitarian care to the affected civilian population - and I believe that is good news in this difficult situation.
Another conflict that seems to be somewhat overlooked at the moment has also shaped our discussions. We know that Russia is continuing its war of aggression against Ukraine with undiminished severity. This winter, the Russian army is attempting to hit the Ukrainian civilian population with air strikes on civilian infrastructure. This is particularly despicable and treacherous.
In this context, I expressly thanked Prime Minister Abel for the successful meeting of the Copenhagen Process National Security Advisers in Malta at the end of October. Because it sent out a very important signal. Solidarity and support for Ukraine remain intact. Malta and Germany agree: Ukraine continues to need our special support in the winter. We are doing this in the midst of the arms supplies that we have made available.
Of course, we also discussed many European policy issues, such as the Multiannual Financial Framework. It is important for us to do everything we can to ensure that this remains a financial framework that ensures the stability of our shared finances.
It is also important that we push for reform of the Common European Asylum System. On the issue of illegal migration, the EU has intensively addressed, discussed and debated the prospects for action.
Of course, this also applies to many other issues that are important to us - EU enlargement, which is now coming up, the climate conference in Dubai, COP28. For Germany, it is important that it is not only about a committed expansion of renewable energies, wind energy and solar energy, but also about supporting the climate club, to which we are so committed.
We also discussed the situation in Libya and Tunisia and I reiterated Malta's position on the importance of continuing to support both countries. Malta's current role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council - which is about candidacies - the climate and security area, but also Malta's role in the OSCE were other topics on the agenda.
During this visit, we also had a very important opportunity to discuss important issues on the European Union's agenda. These include the topics of migration, expansion, economic governance and, of course, supply chains.
Once again, I thanked the Federal Chancellor Scholz and his team for having such a good exchange of views, and I also thanked him for his hospitality. I believe that the discussions we have had today have not only contributed to further strengthening our already good relations, but have also taken us a step further in terms of cooperation.
Thank you!
Question: Prime Minister, you are in Berlin today. Yesterday you were endorsed and asked to take over the OSCE Chairmanship next year. Looking at Ukraine's challenges, what message would you like to convey on behalf of Malta in this regard?
PM Abela: This is a question from the Maltese side, so a short word in Maltese. - First of all, I would like to say that the decision is yet to be made and the process will be completed as far as the OSCE Chairmanship is concerned this week. We will take over the chairmanship from 1 January and our main theme will certainly be peace. Peace is something that we have been working on, and we are continuing to do so now as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, a position we have held since last year. Our country may be small, but we have managed to send a clear message about resolving wars and conflicts through peace.
We have talked about the war between Ukraine and Russia and we have also taken this position on this conflict. That is what we did when Hamas attacked Israel. We will take further steps here and push for the recognition that the only solution is peace - whether it concerns Russia and Ukraine or the conflict between Hamas and Israel. But you must demand peace and work for peace. A permanent ceasefire is, in our view, the only right way. We have achieved and taken a first important step with the adoption of a resolution in the Security Council, which has now been followed by positive developments. The first hostages have been released and humanitarian aid is coming into Gaza. As I said, this is a first step in the right direction - but a very necessary first step. We now urge that we achieve a permanent ceasefire so that we can ensure that the loss of thousands of innocent lives that the conflict has already claimed does not continue. There are different estimates from the parties to the conflict in this regard, but we cannot accept that more innocent civilians will lose their lives, that parents will lose their children and children will lose their parents. Let us end this war.
We will also end the war between Russia and Ukraine. We have a duty to our people and we have a duty to use our positions in key positions accordingly.
Question: Mr Chancellor, you mentioned further assistance to Ukraine. Now, in view of the unclear budget for 2024, there is uncertainty as to whether the promised increase in military aid by the federal government to eight billion euros is really safe. Related: Do you really see that support for Ukraine in the EU with its 27 members is still very strong, or is support for military aid declining?
Prime Minister, Malta had a controversial, controversial model of selling passports to foreigners. Can you say whether that practice continues and you are selling passports to foreigners?
BK Scholz: We are very clear: Germany supports Ukraine in its right to defend its own country. We have been doing this in the last few years since the outbreak of the war, or for the whole period since the outbreak of the war, and we will continue to do so as long as it is necessary. We have devoted considerable resources to this and we are now the second largest supporter of Ukraine after the US. We will certainly remain so.
Of course, we are now in a situation where the budget for 2024 has not yet been decided in the German Bundestag. However, we are working intensively to put an end to this situation as quickly as possible, and the Federal Government is putting forward concrete proposals to this end. This certainly means that we will continue to support Ukraine. It can rely on Germany and its support.
This is especially true because - I would like to stress here - it is our position that the Russian president cannot now simply escape his raid, somehow conquer part of the country and say: Now the border is where the guns are. straight. - So we are not advocating that we simply no longer accept the right to change this situation, but rather to support Ukraine in defending the country and its territorial integrity. This is still the case.
The same applies, if I may do so at this point, with regard to the situation in Israel. Israel has the right to defend itself after the Hamas attack on Israeli citizens. We campaigned for the release of the hostages - I am glad that this has now happened - and we demand the release of more hostages. However, that also means that we take the position that the current situation is one of humanitarian breaks, because it is still the case that Israel must also have the opportunity to do everything it can to stop Hamas continuing its terrorist activities, and there has been no apparent change on the Hamas side. We will therefore continue to support Israel's right to self-defence and will contribute to making this possible.
PM Abela: We have a "citizenship-by-investment scheme" but no program that allows for easy purchase of passports. There are certain criteria that need to be followed and fulfilled. There is a duty of care to follow. In February 2021, when Russia attacked Ukraine for the first time, we first made a decision concerning the citizens of these countries and we clearly supported Ukraine from the start. That remains our position today.
Regarding the decision on who will be granted citizenship: this is a national right to decide and we will always clarify this, including before the European Court of Justice. Criteria are applied which then allow someone to obtain citizenship. This is a fixed framework. This is a regulatory framework. But we can also - which this framework allows - withdraw citizenship if certain conditions are not met.
A question has been put to you, Mr Chancellor, to which I would also like to respond: Yes, we can agree on a budget. We will not decide to block the European Union. However, we must maintain military aid to Ukraine and focus more on peace. The consequences of this war, which has now dragged on for almost two or three years, are visible to all of us. Please join us in spreading the message that Ukraine has the right to defend its territory, and we support it in this endeavour, but let us insist more often on a return to the path of peace. I am also thinking of the meeting of national security advisers in Malta as the first important meeting, the first step on the road to peace. The emphasis should continue to be on finding peace rather than continuing the war.
Question: I have a question for the Federal Chancellor. How would you assess the bilateral talks with the Prime Minister of Malta on trade? A: Relations between Malta and you are very important for Malta.
BK Scholz: We have talked at great length about the possibilities for trade between Malta and Germany. You know that Germany is Malta's biggest trading partner and will remain so. We also discussed some detailed issues, for example, the development of investment in renewable energies. We talked about the pharmaceutical sector. We also support Malta, for example, in protecting its interests in the European Union. Of course, we also want to ensure that even a small country has access to the medicines it needs. These are some of the issues that we have discussed. This was an important part of our discussions today.
Question: Mr Chancellor, I have another question about domestic policy. You made a government statement today. Friedrich Merz criticised you quite harshly afterwards and said that you could not manage it, that the shoes were too big. He literally also said: You are the plumber of power. - How do you interpret that as a criticism or a compliment?
BK Scholz: I'm an advocate of crafts in Germany and I think what we've learned about crafts is: You have to do things for a very long time, including government accountability, in order to develop good government activities. . I think there is a parallel between me and this honest plumbing craft. First of all, I am proud of this praise.
Tuesday 28 November 2023
bundeskanzler.de/RoZ
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