Gonzi, Berlusconi to open EPP summit on migration

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has been invited to address the opening of an EPP (European People’s Party) summit in Palermo, Sicily next week tackling solidarity in the Mediterranean and the migration flows from North Africa.

Sources close to the EPP in Brussels yesterday confirmed that Malta’s Prime Minister will be addressing the 265 MEPs of the EPP together with an array of EU personalities including the President of the European Commission JoséManuel Barroso and the President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek.

“Due to the current crisis in the Mediterranean we have decided to re-focus our three-day study days meeting in Palermo on the recent trouble in the Mediterranean and Dr Gonzi will be addressing the opening session together with Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi,” an EPP spokesman told The Times.

“We think that Malta is crucial to any debate on the Mediterranean and that is why we asked Dr Gonzi to address our meeting together with Berlusconi.”

During the official discussion on the topic, Rebuilding A Strong Partnership In The Mediterranean, the Prime Minister of Hungary, Victor Orban and the Prime Minister of Morocco Abbas El Fassi are also expected to intervene.

Dr Gonzi is expected to hold informal bi-lateral discussions with Mr Berlusconi on the margins of the summit.

This will be the first one-to-one meeting between Dr Gonzi and Mr Berlusconi following a recent spat between the two countries on migrants rescued between Lampedusa and Malta.

On one occasion, the Italian authorities refused to give the Maltese permission to put the migrants ashore in Lampedusa, even though the rescue took place nearer to the Italian island than to Malta.

As the two countries exchanged harsh words, members of the Lega Nord Party – part of Mr Berlusconi’s government coalition – threatened economic retaliation.

The EPP summit is also expected to discuss the need for a better asylum system for the Mediterranean. This topic will be addressed by Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini together with European Commissioners Vivian Reding, Kristalina Georgieva and Antonio Tajani.

This session will be chaired by Maltese MEP Simon Busuttil.