Valletta, 13 August 2021 (TDI): Malta’s Foreign Minister, Evarist Bartolo, in his interview, supported China’s stance on the origin-tracing of COVID-19 because the pandemic is far from over. In such a situation, he stressed the need for global cooperation, stating, “the enemy should be the pandemic, not each other”. The Chinese ambassador to the Republic of Malta acknowledged his views.
Bartolo pointed out the international immunity gap, giving an example of the COVID situation in the African region. The COVID-19 crisis in Africa is intense but the vaccination rate is very low. He said the problems that various countries solve individually, are in fact global matters and must be resolved through assistance. He also said, “This (global pandemic) is a health crisis where if not all the world is safe, no country will be safe.”
While talking about China-European Union (EU) relations, he affirmed China is a significant trading partner of the EU. He also appreciated China’s contribution to global cooperation and bilateral relations, specifically in supporting Malta during the fight against the virus.
