PRESS RELEASE BY THE OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TOURISM Malta hosts the 1539th meeting of the Council of Europe’s Committee of[...]

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Ian Borg opened the 1539th meeting of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers' Deputies, which was hosted by the 2025 Maltese Presidency of this organisation, at the Verdala Palace, on Tuesday morning.

Composed of Permanent Representatives from the Council of Europe's Member States, the Committee of Ministers' Deputies oversees the organisation's activities and the implementation of its decisions dealing with human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

Addressing the meeting in his capacity as the President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Dr Borg stressed the Council's crucial role as a values-based compass in an increasingly complex world, amidst growing attacks on international institutions, attempts to discredit the rule of law, and the undermining of democratic norms.

"Through its unique mandate and broad reach, the Council can foster unity, uphold democratic standards, and help shape a future rooted in peace and justice," he affirmed.

The Deputy Prime Minister called on the Council of Europe to inspire enhanced collective commitment by making sure that its work is highly visible and clearly understood, across all sectors of society, "because ultimately, the strength of our shared values lies not only in how they are defended in Strasbourg, but in how they are understood, lived, and carried forward in communities, classrooms, and conversations across Europe."

In this regard, he commended the Maltese Presidency's decision to reintroduce the Council of Europe's Youth Ministerial Meeting, which is convening in Valletta this week, after an absence of 13 years. This high-level event reaffirms a shared commitment to engaging young people in shaping the future of Europe.

As the international community marked two years since the 7 October Hamas terrorist attack, Dr Borg reiterated Malta's call for the immediate release of all hostages, and for an urgent end to the ensuing humanitarian crisis and human suffering in Gaza.

He also talked about Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, stressing the Maltese Presidency's commitment to push forward ongoing efforts to set up the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression - "because without accountability, there can be no reconciliation, and without justice, no lasting peace."

Tuesday's meeting was chaired by Malta's Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe, Francesca Camilleri Vettiger, on behalf of the Maltese Presidency. It was also addressed by the Council of Europe Secretary General, Alain Berset and the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Theodoros Rousopoulos.