President George Vella stated that peace is not only the task of elected politicians and that it cannot be taken for granted. It finds roots and strength in the daily work of multilateral organisations, ambassadors, academics, civil society, NGOs, voluntary organisations, students, and youths.
During his closing speech, President Vella stated that the Forum gave a voice to those whose freedom, well-being, and in some cases, existence, is put in peril.
Referring to the war in Ukraine in particular, the President elaborated that the ultimate collective hope is for credible and effective negotiations that result in a durable cessation of the appalling attacks and relieve the people of Ukraine from the harm, the anguish, and the deep distress that they have been experiencing for days. He added that no country – large or small – should be threatened and endangered in this way. The President referred to the adoption of the UN General Assembly Resolution on ‘Aggression Against Ukraine’ on 2 March. President Vella added his voice and the general feeling of the Forum to this resounding global condemnation of illegal and unprovoked attacks on a sovereign state and the immense suffering they are causing to the people.
The Chairman of the Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain Cultural Foundation, Abdul Aziz Saud Albabtain, said just peace is a right for all humanity. He called for the formation of new leaders among the young generation and emphasised the need to find a common mechanism to train them on an international level.
The President had a meeting with the Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States, Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf, on the margins of the Forum, during which they spoke about the excellent cooperation between Malta and the Gulf Cooperation Council for the Arab States.
On Friday morning, President Vella also held a meeting with the Speaker of the National Assembly of Kuwait, Marzouq Al-Ghanim, one of the lead speakers at the Forum. The exchanges focused on the longstanding historical ties, and the contributions that the two countries make to stability in the Mediterranean and Gulf regions.
Source: Office of the Prime Minister