NEWS | Wednesday, 05 November 2008

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Malta to work for ‘Club Med’ for Eastern EU members

Malta and Greece have agreed on the need for EU countries in the central and eastern parts of the Mediterranean, to hold a quadrilateral meeting as early as possible to discuss matters of common interest.
Meeting in Athens at the weekend, Minister for Justice and Home Affairs, Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici and the Greek Minister for the Interior, Prof. Prokopis Pavlopoulos, agreed that four EU Mediterranean States namely Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Malta should ensure that matters which are important for these Mediterranean countries are given priority during the coming Presidencies.
Both countries agreed that the Immigration and Asylum Pact should be transformed from words into action, with the creation of a strong repatriation programme, agreements with countries of origin and transit, and a burden-sharing mechanism.
Both ministers declared that the momentum which the French Presidency has established must be encouraged and sustained.
Mifsud Bonnici and Pavlopoulos also said Frontex must be strengthened with more financial and logistical support in future missions.

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