PRESS RELEASE BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MP Carmelo Abela Represents Malta at NATO Parliamentary Assembly Seminar in Palermo

The Head of the Maltese Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly MP Carmelo Abela, attended a joint meeting of the NATO PA Political Committee, the Committee on Democracy and Security, and the Mediterranean and Middle East Special Group, held on 27 October 2025 in Palermo, Sicily. The theme chosen for the seminar was Security in the Mediterranean Basin.

The parliamentary seminar, chaired by the President and members of the Italian delegation to the NATO PA, focused on the Mediterranean region-with Palermo chosen as a symbolic host city reflecting its strategic and cultural importance.

Discussions centred on common security challenges in the Euro-Mediterranean region, including the impact of climate change, migration, organised crime, and international terrorism. Participants explored ways to strengthen cooperation to ensure a prosperous and secure Mediterranean.

The meeting featured contributions from a number of distinguished speakers, including Renato Schifani, President of the Region of Sicily, as well as video messages from Dubravka Šuica, European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, and Sebastiano Musumeci, Italian Minister for Civil Protection and Sea Policies. Marcos Perestrello, President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and other leading experts also participated in the various sessions.

MP Carmelo Abela took an active role in the discussions, underlining the strategic importance of the Mediterranean for European and regional security, including its linkages to the Middle East. He highlighted the effects of climate change on countries along both shores of the Mediterranean-pointing in particular to the vulnerability of islands such as Malta to rising sea levels.

MP Abela also noted that developments in the Arctic region could have significant implications for the Mediterranean, both commercially and environmentally, as global warming accelerates. He stressed that political leaders must heed scientific evidence and go beyond commitments made at COP meetings by implementing concrete climate action.

"We must act on what science is telling us," MP Abela stated. "Beyond making pledges, we must honour them-for the sake of our planet and our shared Mediterranean region, which studies show will be among the most affected by climate change. The challenges are immense, and collaboration is essential."

The seminar concluded with a shared commitment among participating nations to strengthen cooperation in addressing the complex and interlinked challenges facing the Euro-Mediterranean region.