Fearne Meets Palestinian PM in Brussels to Deepen Malta-Palestine Ties

Malta's Foreign and European Affairs Minister Chris Fearne met Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in Brussels ahead of the second gathering of the Palestine Donor Group. The two sides agreed to deepen Malta-Palestine ties through medical sector capacity-building and cultural exchange initiatives. Fearne reaffirmed Malta's recognition of the State of Palestine, formalized in September 2025 and reiterated support for a two-state solution pursued through the EU and UN.

Malta opposes the forced displacement of Palestinians. PM Mustafa outlined the scale of humanitarian and economic pressures on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, calling on the EU to provide emergency financial support. He pointed to withheld revenues and banking restrictions as compounding factors.

Fearne also attended the morning session of the Foreign Affairs Council that day. The Palestine Donor Group, meeting for the second time, unites European, Arab and other international partners in coordinating financial assistance for the Palestinian Authority and supporting early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza. The Brussels session focused on the Palestinian Authority's reform agenda, its deteriorating economic situation and the need to mobilize additional international financial support.

Two mechanisms were under active discussion: the EU's PEGASE mechanism, an established instrument for channeling assistance to Palestinian institutions and the newly launched Team Gaza Initiative. The European Union stands as the foremost international donor to the Palestinian people and the Palestinian Authority, having committed a three-year €1.6 billion support package linked to governance and institutional reforms.

PM Mustafa called specifically for emergency financial measures, citing withheld revenues and banking restrictions that he said are aggravating the crisis alongside longer-term structural funding needs. Malta's bilateral commitments on medical sector capacity-building and cultural exchange complement the work of the donor group. The Palestine Donor Group's next steps on mobilizing additional financial support were among the items before participants at the Brussels session.