US Secretary of State arrives at OSCE meeting in Ta' Qali

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has arrived at the MFCC where the OSCE Ministerial Council is set to kick off soon. 

Blinken arrived in Malta on Wednesday, where he met with Prime Minister Robert Abela at Castille. 

The two discussed ongoing conflict in and around Europe, as Abela emphasised that Malta will continue to call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, particularly in light of the humanitarian situation. He reiterated Malta’s support for a two-state solution to achieve stability and peace in the region.

Before coming to Malta, Blinken was in Brussels for a meeting with NATO foreign ministers where European members were urged to boost defence spending ahead of Donald Trump’s upcoming US presidency.

The plea is being made in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, as well as comments made by president-elect Trump that blasted European NATO members for falling short of their 2% of GDP defence spending target.

In Malta, Blinken, as well as other OSCE foreign ministers will sit down during what many see as a turning point in geopolitics, with rising tensions in the Middle East, fears of trade wars between the US and the EU and China, as well as the Russian threat on the European continent.