Finland asked to tackle migration during EU presidency term

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi asked his Finnish counterpart, Matti Vanhanen, to include illegal immigration in the programme of Finland's EU presidency in the latter half of 2006.

Dr Gonzi and Mr Vanhanen addressed a joint press conference at Auberge de Castille, in Valletta yesterday at the conclusion of the Finnish Prime Minister's working visit to Malta.

Asked by The Times whether the Maltese government had asked Finland to accept a number of refugees once the island was the most densely populated country in Europe and Finland's population was less dense, Mr Vanhanen said he appreciated Malta's problems of size and even the fact that it is the country that is closest to North African shores.

"Dr Gonzi has asked me to include illegal immigration in the programme of Finland's presidency," Mr Vanhanen said. On whether Finland would accept asylum seekers who arrive in Malta, the Finnish Prime Minister replied: "We will see what we can do."

Speaking of the meeting held earlier between the two prime ministers, Dr Gonzi said Malta's Objective 1 status and the Stability and Growth Pact were discussed in the light of the Ecofin (European finance ministers) meeting which will take off in Brussels on Sunday.

"We have discussed matters of common interest in the financial perspectives of the two countries also in view of the upcoming EU summit," Dr Gonzi said.

With regard to bilateral relations, Dr Gonzi said the discussion dealt with the possibilities of creating a greater synergy between Maltese and Finnish businesses.

Dr Gonzi said the statistics indicated that Maltese exports to Finland increased in recent years, especially in the case of semiconductors.

Mr Vanhanen said the two countries had common "logistical problems" because they were both "far away from the central markets of the European Union". "This is why it was so important to build bridges and cooperate in the future," Mr Vanhanen said.

Asked about the opposition he faced in the Finnish Parliament for not calling a referendum to ratify the European Constitution, Mr Vanhanen said: "Only around a quarter of the Finnish Parliament is opposed to the European Constitution".