Prime Minister Robert Abela Welcomes EU Agreement On Future Ukraine Peace Talks

Prime Minister Robert Abela has welcomed an agreement between European leaders to establish EU representation in future peace discussions between Russia and Ukraine.

Speaking at the end of an informal summit of European leaders in Dublin, Ireland, Abela said Malta had consistently advocated for a peaceful solution since the beginning of the conflict.

The agreement will see the E5 countries, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy and Poland, together with European institutions, represent the EU in future discussions.

Abela described the agreement as a sign of hope, while cautioning that it was too early to predict the outcome of any negotiations.

He added that important steps remained, including determining the mandate of those who would represent European countries and institutions.

The summit also focused on artificial intelligence (AI), which leaders discussed with industry experts, including Mistral AI CEO Arthur Mensch and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Geoffrey Hinton.

Abela said powerful AI models alone could not realise their full potential without people having the necessary skills, confidence and support.

He highlighted Malta's AI strategy, launched in 2019 and running until 2030, saying it had already produced significant progress but needed to be updated in response to technological, regulatory and social changes.

The Prime Minister identified two key priorities: an informed population and a strong regulatory framework.

He also noted that 50,000 people had completed a programme related to AI through the government's AI for All initiative, adding that the challenge was to ensure future opportunities remained accessible to everyone.