Prime Minister Joseph Muscat revealed this evening that he will have talks in Algiers later this week with the Algerian prime minister.

Speaking in parliament in reaction to concerns expressed by the Leader of the Opposition on the high number of visas granted by Malta for travellers from Algeria, Dr Muscat said the Maltese authorities had asked the French government directly whether it had any concerns about the activities of the Maltese consulates which issued the visas, and France had none.

Dr Muscat pointed out that visas were issued after names were checked with the Schengen system database. Therefore, France, and all other Schengen countries, had information before the visas were actually published.

Dr Muscat reiterated his condemnation of the Paris terrorist attacks.

He said it was clear that the way the Schengen system worked needed to change. A European Home Affairs Ministers' meeting would be held on Friday with one of the proposals being a system to identify people who moved from one country to another.

He personally believed EU borders should remain open, but there should be more control. Closing the borders would be a blow to the European project, he said.

Dr Muscat also said he was prepared to take whatever decisions were necessary regarding CHOGM, but there appeared to be no threat. The biggest concern, he said, was not such official and well-guarded events, but soft, targets, such as football stadia and concert halls.

The prime minsiter stressed that it would be wrong for Malta to turn its back on the Arab world. It should promote trade and exchanges with the Arab countries and the rest of the world, he said.