Berlusconi pledges to push Malta's case

The meeting between Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi was, as predicted, dominated by talks on illegal migration but they also pledged to solve the existing impasse on oil exploration.

The meeting, split between a short private meeting and a working lunch, took place at Mr Berlusconi's office in Palazzo Chigi in Rome. Dr Gonzi was accompanied by Foreign Minister Tonio Borg and the Ambassador to Italy Walter Balzan.

Dr Gonzi expressed his satisfaction that Italy fully understood the problems Malta was facing with regard to irregular migration. He said Mr Berlusconi gave him his word that, on a European Union level, he will make Malta's case, especially with regard to the fair sharing of responsibility of the problem.

Mr Berlusconi said Malta also stood to benefit from the agreement Italy reached with Libya on this phenomenon through which Italy will be providing Libya with six patrol boats to be in a position to better monitor its coast.

Describing the relations between the two countries as a "splendid friendship", Mr Berlusconi said the talks on illegal migration focused on the new dimension of the problem.

Using the same ratio of illegal migrants to the island's population as Malta, it meant that Italy would be receiving some 1.4 million illegal migrants.

He said the EU needed the common policy on illegal migration, which is being spearheaded by the French presidency of the EU. Moreover, this issue could be tackled on a country-by-country basis with separate agreements between member states.

They also discussed Frontex and agreed that its resources had to be beefed up.

Mr Berlusconi expressed satisfaction on hearing that some of the financial aid Malta received through the Italian Protocol was used to restore the Italian chapel at St John's Co-Cathedral, in Valletta.

During their two-hour meeting, the two sides discussed the linking of Malta to the Sicilian energy grid, which has been in the pipeline for quite some time. The same issue had been discussed with Mr Berlusconi's predecessor, Romano Prodi, who had said that Italy was not only ready but was eager to connect Malta to this energy grid.

They discussed the price of oil in the international market and ways of cutting down the use of fuel and decreasing energy consumption. Dr Gonzi pointed out that Malta had to use 20 per cent of its electricity consumption to convert sea water into potable water.

Speaking to the Maltese press shortly before being escorted back to the airport, Dr Gonzi expressed his satisfaction that Italy was backing Malta in its efforts to get other EU member states to share in the burden of illegal migration.

He was grateful that Mr Berlusconi declared that Malta is the ideal candidate to host the seat of the recently-set-up Union of the Mediterranean, in view of its strategic position in the Mediterranean Sea. While stating that Malta will be offering its candidacy for this headquarters, Dr Gonzi said there were other countries that were interested too. With regard to the Mediterranean, Mr Berlusconi said Italy, like Malta, was committed to do everything possible to make this sea the cleanest in the world.

On a completely different note, the two Premiers inevitably discussed Italian football. Mr Berlusconi is the president of Milan and Dr Gonzi is an avid supporter of arch rivals Inter, as is Dr Borg. Dr Gonzi said Mr Berlusconi recalled the warm welcome given by Maltese Milan supporters when the club held a training session on the island last year.

Dr Gonzi said he invited Mr Berlusconi for an official visit to Malta but no date has been set yet.

Mr Berlusconi and Dr Gonzi last met in Paris a fortnight ago when the Union of the Mediterranean was formally launched. At the official dinner, Mr Berlusconi disregarded protocol and asked the French band to play O Sole Mio just as he saw Dr Gonzi step on the red carpet on his arrival for the dinner.