Leaders arrive for 5+5 meeting
The leaders of the 10 countries which border the Western Mediterranean have started arriving at the Auberge de Castille for the opening of the 5+5 summit.
Each of them is being greeted outside the main door by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy arrives at the Auberge de Castille.Most, including Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, have travelled to Castille straight from the airport, amid tight security.
They will be joined by EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. The Arab League is also being represented.
Traffic in the area has been banned and people are being kept well away.
Dr Gonzi greets Italian Prime Minister Monti.The official cars are being directed by soldiers in white ceremonial uniforms, with another two soldiers saluting the guests on either side of the main door of the auberge.
The President of the Libyan Congress, Mohamed Magarief, is greeted by Dr Gonzi.The opening ceremony will be held in the courtyard of Auberge de Castille but most of the meetings will be held at Verdala Palace.
The conference, the first between west Mediterranean Heads of State since the Arab Spring last year, is expected to issue a fresh call for a Syrian government transition and a stop to the killing in that country.
The situation in Syria will be among the subjects to be discussed and the final declaration is also expected to encourage further democratic reform in the north African states.
Dr Gonzi will also be having meetings with French president Francois Hollande, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy Brey, Italy's Prime Minister Mario Monti, the president of the General Congress of Libya Mohamed Magarief and the Prime Minister of Portugal Pedro Passos Coelho.
After the opening ceremony, which was followed by a working lunch, the leaders went to the Upper Barrakka Gardens where they were treated to an eight-gun salute.
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phyllis butler
Oct 5th 2012, 15:54
To all the negative people -- there were lots of foreign journalists at Castille Place this morning. They are following the whole process and transmitting to the various countries = great publicity for Malta. Besides the prestige of having these Dignitaries visiting our beautiful island, since they could have chosen another country, we are hosting an important Conference. Whoever managed to convince them to participate deserves a medal and this is not a political comment.
B. Farrugia
Oct 5th 2012, 15:16
A very importrant med meeting as Dom would have wanted, prosit Dr.Gonzi.
May this continue to foster co-op in the Med.
J. Abela
Oct 5th 2012, 13:17
Ritratti tal-genn
j brincat
Oct 5th 2012, 13:14
And how appropriate is the timing considering the local political scenario as it is unfolding on a daily basis!
(jb)
Bernard Pollacco
Oct 5th 2012, 14:41
this was set well before franco debono talked !!! so its not the governments fault ! kemm tgerger u mohhok fil-politka
J Martinelli
Oct 5th 2012, 17:44
Political scenarios unfold daily in most countries where democracy reigns and hourly in countries which are struggling to become free of tyrants and their people die to obtain true democracy which we, ourselves, nearly lost in the 70s and 80s.
Positive politics and understanding the politics of neighbouring countries is a necessity that knows no day or hour and when an opportunity arises, it should be grabbed and exploited. This event is one such occasion and our 'political scenario' especially following our splendid handling of the Libyan crisis, is ample proof that in spite of minor local political skirmishes, the leadership of this country is wise to plant the seeds of understanding and moderation among Mediterranean sovereign States.
Simon Ciantar
Oct 5th 2012, 13:14
I Hope Malta , Italy and Spain will take the opportunity to put pressure on Libya to start dealing seriously with illegal immigration......
Joseph Micallef
Oct 5th 2012, 12:48
How long are we going to see Castille Palace being referred to (officially) as simply Castille? Castille was an old kingdom in Spain! See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Castile - what we have in Malta is an auberge built to house the langue of Castile - not Castille (or Castile) itself!
Visit the following: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Castile
and http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/98547/Castile
George Cutajar
Oct 5th 2012, 12:47
Once more as during the Gorbachov - Bush summit and the Libyan crises Malta is playing a central role on the International stage. Prosit Malta - hoping good things come out of this meeting.
C. Sammut
Oct 5th 2012, 12:44
Its actually excellent pre election propaganda for Dr Gonzi too!
Saviour Fenech
Oct 5th 2012, 13:00
Taf kemm ilha pjanata din il-laqgha. Ma saritx qabel minhabba l-irvellijiet li kien hemm fl-Afrika ta' fuq. Meta se nitghalmu li mhux il-politika ta' Malta hi c-centru tad-dinja?
Franco Farrugia
Oct 5th 2012, 13:26
What a disgusting comment. How uneducated and how puerile. Rather than congratulating the Government for this great event which is so important on an internationavel as well as the Mediterranean one, the Opposition, yesterday, in Parliament, should have actually given the thumbs-up to the Government on this event and should have augured the PM well. Or is it that everything that is being done is wrong, in your partisan eyes?
How absolutely disappointing that we have people of this mentality.
Joseph Camilleri
Oct 5th 2012, 13:33
Do you remember the meeting held in Malta in 1997/1998 between Arafat and Jitzak Rabin in Malta, with Dr Alfred Sant hosting them in Malta for peace talks? If it helped in the pre election propoganda, it surely wasn't enough quite evidently.
Kenneth Williams
Oct 5th 2012, 14:38
We have to see what we are going to gain vs the millions that we are forking out for this summit.......Oh btw the roads are clean and resurfaced at least
Joseph Camilleri
Oct 5th 2012, 15:59
@Kenneth Williams: That's all that matters doesn't it?
J Martinelli
Oct 5th 2012, 17:50
@ Kenneth Williams
Whatever the cost, put your mind at rest, that once Joseph becomes PM, your electricity bill will be cut in half - five years down the road? After he raises your taxes? After he decimates the Health and Education services?
Just keep on hoping. Min jghix bit-tama, imut bil-piena!
V Mercieca
Oct 5th 2012, 12:31
hope that something frutiful will come out of this meeting.
Please choose the reason of your report below: