First meeting under auspices of Maltese EU presidency held

The first meeting under the auspices of the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the European Union was held in Valletta today. The informal meeting of state secretaries and secretaries-general in the ministries of Foreign Affairs of the EU member states is traditionally held a few weeks before an EU member state assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, a role Malta will be taking up on New Year’s Day.

During the meeting, Foreign Affairs minister George Vella, presented the main areas of focus of the Maltese Presidency, namely: migration, the single market, security, social inclusion, the European neighbourhood and maritime affairs.

Vella focused on the European Union’s Southern neighbourhood with an emphasis on the situation in the Mediterranean. The minister highlighted the role of regional and international organisations in enhancing regional cooperation and complementing the bilateral relations that exist between the EU member states and neighbourhood countries.

“The further consolidation of EU policies towards both the south and the east has a fundamental role to play in helping us build a secure, peaceful and stable neighbourhood”, said Vella.

During the meeting, it was announced that Malta will be organising an event that brings together EU Foreign Ministers, Southern Partners and GCC countries in April 2017