Malta Condemns Violence And Expresses Concern After Iran/USA Attacks And Ongoing Escalation
Malta’s Foreign Affairs Minister has been monitoring the continued escalation in regions like Iran following the sudden killing of an Iranian general and subsequent attacks on international US bases, as well as the ongoing situation in Libya – and expressed concern on both accounts.
“We are concerned about the situation as a country because we think and we wish that issues are solved through diplomacy and dialogues,” Carmelo Abela told Lovin Malta.
“And these unilateral actions definitely do not help to have more security in the region and in the world in general, because tit-for-tat might start, and not only escalation when it comes to words but also actions.”
The recent violent back and forth between the USA and Iran following the assassination of popular Iranian General Qassem Soleimani has raised fears worldwide about a major battle occurring between the two regional powers.
Iranian General Qasem Soleimani
Abela noted that he has held informal discussions with relevant embassies and ambassadors, and called for a lowering of aggression.
“We need to condemn all violence and tone down the language from everyone,” Abela said. “If there are issues, we need to confront each other over a discussion – maybe the UN can try to be more of an interlocutor in this issue, that’s why we believe in multilateralism, it is not a cliche’.”
And it’s not just Iran – years-long sectarian violence in Libya has recently worsened after Turkey jumped into the fray, saying it will send troops to the war-torn country.
“I cannot not be concerned with what was already happening in Libya for a number of years now, and now this further escalation,” Abela said.
“I don’t think military action can solve the issues in Libya, we need to give diplomacy a chance, primarily between Libyans themselves because that’s the issue first and foremost.”
“We are concerned, and we are closely monitoring it.”
Abela noted how he had spent some of the days before the new year’s, and after it, looking into the state of the situation.
“I spent the last few days of last years and the first few days of this years speaking with colleagues and receiving ambassadors, telling them our position and they refer back to their foreign ministries. Even with our diplomatic missions abroad, we are conveying the message and doing what it can in this situation,” he noted.
He said we must think of the normal Libyan people, who had nothing to do with this fight.
“The situation might further escalate in Libya itself, and we need to be concerned bout the Libyan people who are a peaceful people after all, but we cannot exclude that they are will be a further escalation in the region,” he ended. “We are close enough but we have the sea dividing us, but other countries in the region cannot say the same thing, especially Tunisia and Egypt, but yes, we are concerned about escalation within the region.”
What do you think of the recent escalation between the USA and Iran, as well as Libya?
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