Malta Today
National
Leaders of Libya, Tunisia, Mauritania, Morocco and Algeria have lauded Malta’s role in consolidating dialogue between the EU and North African states at close of what has been described as a successful 5+5 Malta meeting.
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi during the 5+5 meeting at Verdala Castle, as European Commission President Jose Manuel Durrao Barroso looks on (PHOTO: Omar Camilleri/DOI) Karl Stagno-Navarra
European and North African leaders have left Malta approving a declaration which made a strong condemnation of the “continuous acts of murder, violence and heinous crimes committed by the Syrian government forces and its militias.”
The statement stressed that the Syrian regime should be the first one to put an end to such violence, the need to end impunity and hold those responsible for human rights violations, urging the Syrian regime to take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of civilians and allow immediate and unrestricted humanitarian access to the vulnerable populations and stresses the importance of the unity of Syria.
While calling for the immediate formation of a consensus transitional government in Syria that enjoys all the powers and leads Syria to a democratic and pluralistic political regime, the leaders of Malta, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Libya, Mauritania, Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria reaffirmed their full support to the United Nations Secretary-General and the Arab League’s Envoy, to the region, to remain fully seized on the Syrian crisis, encouraging all parties to cooperate in bringing an immediate end to violences and human rights violations, securing a Syrian led political transition.
An all smiling Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi noted what he described as the “genuine commitment” of all leaders present for the two-day high level Malta meeting towards the strengthening of the Mediterranean dialogue, and thanked them all for their positive role in a “frank, open and tranquil discussion which has given birth to a new era of North, South cooperation.”
This weekend’s meeting was the first in nine years between heads of government from the 10 Mediterranean countries, and the first since the Arab Spring brought about changes in Tunisia and Libya.
“We are heads of government, but we represent people, and the human dimension, the human reality was always present in our discussions,” Gonzi told the media at the concluding press conference at Verdala Castle.
Illegal immigration
The Malta meeting has produced an important commitment from all Heads of Government, who upheld a proposal put forward by the new Tunisian President for the establishment of a task-force to address the phenomenon of illegal immigration.
While Gonzi stressed the need to assist all North African countries in border control, asset deployment and most of all to grant opportunities to those who seek a better future, President Moncef Marzouki of Tunisia made a stunning statement calling for the setting up of a task-force which would meet in Tunis and discuss the matter and put a stop to the “useless deaths” of hundreds of would-be asylum seekers.
His words echoed Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti who declared “extraordinary progress” made between Italy and Malta on matters relating to search and rescue at sea.
“Human lives come before economic or political issues,” Marzouki said, adding that it is time for Europe to help North African states address this problem and avoid human tragedies.
Marzouki insisted that the task-force must not be a security matter but a humanitarian one.
Eurozone
The eurozone crisis was also a matter discussed at length on the margins of this weekend’s 5 5 meeting in Malta.
After last Friday’s informal meeting between leaders of France, Spain, Italy, Malta and Portugal, which called on the forthcoming European Council “to pave the way towards the establishment of a single European banking supervision system before the end of the year,” it was up to European Commission President Josè Manuel Durrao Barroso to reiterate that same call after a meeting with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.
He said that eurozone leaders must make “concrete decisions” this month to ensure their single currency is sustainable,.
“Governments in Europe cannot lose focus and they must reinforce integration,” Barroso told reporters in Malta.
He said the European Commission will present a blueprint for closer European banking and economic cohesion before tomorrow’s first meeting of the eurozone’s bailout fund, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM).
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said his government wants to “meditate” on whether to ask for a bailout but that it will ultimately do what is best for Spain.
“Cheap financing and the availability of credit is fundamental. Without it it’s difficult that there will be jobs, credit and confidence, and we will take the decision we believe is the best for the general interests of Spain,” Rajoy told before leaving Malta late on Friday.
He added that there is a great disparity in financing conditions in Europe. “There are countries that finance themselves for free, while other countries, we are paying enormous quantities. It’s very difficult to invest and create jobs when Spain is financing itself at the current costs,” he said.
The Spanish premier reiterated that the government wants to know the conditionality of accepting financial aid.
The European Central Bank last month said it was ready to use its printing press to buy sovereign debt from countries with unsustainably high borrowing costs, though it added that it won’t act until the countries themselves ask for help. Spain is widely expected to eventually ask for a credit line from its euro-zone partners, a move that would activate the ECB bond buying.
