At the same time that many Commonwealth leaders will be leaving the island after the informal discussions held in the Malta summit over the weekend, the Prime Minister will also be at the Malta International Airport, not only to see their departure but also to catch a plane himself on his way to Barcelona to represent Malta in the first ever Euro-Med summit marking the tenth anniversary of the start of this process.
The Maltese delegation, led by Dr Gonzi, will include Foreign Minister Michael Frendo and top Foreign Ministry officials. The summit, which will bring together EU and Mediterranean heads of state and government, is expected to announce a declaration on a common vision and decide on a five-year work programme that aims both at reinforcing relations and meeting the tough challenges that lie ahead for the region.
Diplomatic sources told The Sunday Times yesterday that this summit is being considered as very important by the Maltese government as illegal immigration is being discussed. The sources said that the summit will offer a direct opportunity for Malta to clearly state its policy on illegal immigration to North African countries, from where most illegal immigrants reach Malta.
Before leaving Brussels for Barcelona, the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso referred to the illegal immigration crisis and said that he hoped that progress on the matter is registered at the summit .
"I hope that progress will be made, because we are continuing to experience tragic humanitarian crises."
Mr Barroso said that the fight against illegal immigration is one of the Commission's priorities for this region.
"We want to tackle immigration focussing on a more strategic approach that aims to optimise the benefits of migration for all partners, and prevent the toll of human tragedies in the Mediterranean emanating from attempts to enter the EU illegally," he stressed.
The summit comes against a background of increased terrorist activity on both sides of the Mediterranean, a series of migration-related human tragedies and significant civil/ethnic unrest in parts of Europe. This upgraded meeting - normally it is the partners' foreign ministers who meet on a biannual basis - underlines the determination to tackle politically sensitive issues and to work together towards their resolution.
The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, known also as the Barcelona process, at its inception ten years ago was an innovative alliance based on the principles of joint ownership, evolution by dialogue and consensus and co-operation. It has since been driven by a common political will to build together a common space of peace, security and shared prosperity.
Although ten years ago there were many high hopes for this process, many of the agreed tasks have still to be achieved. One of the summit's intentions is to revitalize the process.