ROME, July 6 (Xinhuanet) -- The Maltese parliament voted unanimously in favor of the EU constitution on Wednesday to make the Mediterranean island nation the 12th member state to ratify the treaty, which suffered a setback following rejections by French and Dutch voters.

    All the 65 legislators cast the "yes" vote, including 30 from the opposition Labor Party, which until recently preferred a policy of neutrality for the country's 400,000 residents.

    Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi hailed the "historic" day, sayingthe unanimous ratification marked the resolution of differences between the ruling and opposition parties in the parliament over the treaty.

    The EU constitution was plunged into uncertainty with the stinging rejections of Dutch and French voters over a month ago and the collapse of budget talks at the EU summit in June.

    Although Luxembourg is to hold a referendum this weekend, some other member states put their plans on hold after EU leaders announced a "period of reflection" in mid-June.

    Malta joined the EU on May 1, 2004, along with nine other countries to expand it into a 25-member bloc. Enditem