Diplomatique.expert meets

Malta has recently teamed up with Turkey in an attempt to make Libya stable. According to reports, Malta and Turkey are in talks to develop a collaboration agreement to fight irregular migration. What is the U.S. reaction to this?

Malta’s strategic position in the Mediterranean at the cross-roads between Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, and its membership in the European Union underline Malta’s role as one of our key international partners in finding solutions to issues of global transnational importance, such as weapons proliferation, trafficking in drugs and persons, migration, and protecting our borders. The United States government is closely watching the situation in Libya and we remain engaged with the Maltese on the plight of irregular migrants. In fact, this was a major theme of the discussions during U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper’s recent visit to Malta.

Where are we in terms of the war on terrorism and has the threat from ISIS and al Qaeda diminished?

The United States is working with countries around the world to combat terrorism through multilateral engagement and international organizations.

We continue to build upon the strong alliances the United States has brought together to combat terrorism. Together, with our international partners, we have destroyed ISIS’S physical caliphate

in Iraq and Syria. We have designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including its Qods Force, as a terrorist organization and we continue to work with partners to pressure Iranian proxy forces, such as Hizballah.

One of our success stories with the Maltese government is the development of the Central Mediterranean Security Initiative (CMSI) workshop, launched in 2018, spearheading a regional dialogue on counter proliferation and export controls of restricted and dual use technologies. We supported the creation and foster the development of the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ), located here in Malta. The IIJ is a central element of the U.S. commitment to provide rule of law-based programs addressing terrorism and related transnational criminal activity to justice practitioners. We are proud of the success the IIJ team has achieved and we are committed to working with the IIJ and the Maltese government to ensure its continued success here in Malta.

We are concerned that disputes between neighbors will create opportunities for Russia and others to undermine regional cooperation and create friction between the European Union and Turkey. We urge all parties to engage in dialogue, avoid confrontations, exercise restraint, and prevent escalation. The United States is concerned about Russia’s destabilizing influence across NATO’S southern flank and the Eastern Mediterranean and we are committed to working with critical partners to prevent destabilization of the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Regional security is one of the cornerstones of our relationship with the government of Malta and Malta is an essential partner in our common commitment to combat global threats. We are proud of our ongoing collaboration on practical matters, such as enhanced security at ports-of-entry, container transshipment, and training programs for members of the armed forces, customs, and civil protection personnel that keep Malta and the region safe.

You can say that for most of the Trump administration, Malta has been without an American Ambassador. Is this a permanent decision or are there plans to have a new Ambassador once more in the near future?

Our diplomatic representation in Malta is at the highest level – that of an Embassy. We hope to welcome a U.S. Ambassador in the months ahead.