Security tight in Valletta as European leaders meet

Snipers atop Valletta’s tall buildings as security around the capital is tightened for European leaders’ meeting at Auberge de Castille

29 September 2023, 2:15pm
by Kurt Sansone

1 min read

Security forces and a sniper gun atop a nearby building in Castille Square (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)

Security is tight in and around Valletta as Malta’s walled capital city welcomes leaders from the nine EU countries that border the Mediterranean Sea.

The leaders will be holding working sessions at Auberge de Castille as part of the Med9 summit hosted by Malta. Leaders were greeted by an Armed Forces of Malta contingent in ceremonial uniform in Castille Square before being welcomed by Prime Minister Robert Abela on the stairs of the Knights-era building.

Police stationed around Castille Square (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)

The approach road to Castille Square has been blocked off for traffic and police officers are present throughout the city and along the approach roads used by the dignitaries.

Army snipers are also stationed on high buildings around Castille keeping a watchful eye on proceedings below.

The Med9 is high-level summit made up of nine Mediterranean and Southern European member states. These are Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Greece, Cyprus, and Malta.

This is the second summit to be held in Malta, but the first to include all nine member states.

Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and France’s Emmanuel Macron are among the heads of state in Valletta on Friday, with discussions expected to centre around migration.

Kurt Sansone is Executive Editor of MaltaToday. He was formerly deputy editor of MaltaTod...