The government will be announcing a major project in the educational sector in May that will create many new jobs, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said this morning.
Speaking in Nadur, he said that the government was in the final negotiation phase regarding this major investment.
He also said that the government was also still working on the projects announced during the local councils’ campaign.
The Prime Minister gave an overview of the events this week including in migration saying that Malta was being recognised as the smallest EU country with the biggest heart.
The country, he said, had the duty to take the lead, not because it was presumptuous but because there could be no peace in the world without peace in the Mediterranean.
What was taking place now, he said, was the effect of a situation that had long been coming. Finally, things had started to move in Europe although the issue would not be solved overnight.
He said that the Mediterranean crossings by people who were desperate for a better life reminded him of the photo of a man falling head down after jumping from the Twin Towers in the September 11 terrorism attacks on the World Trade Centre.
“We have to open the world’s eyes to the migration dilemma…,” he said adding that Malta was now collaborating with Italy and each of the two countries were carrying the burden they could.
The situation for Malta, Dr Muscat said, had stabilised and the country was not shouldering more than it could. This increased its responsibility.
He referred to Thursday’s urgent EU summit and said that, for the first time, the criminals organising the deadly voyages were being told “Europe is coming after you”.
The summit was also a message to Libyans to get their act together.
“We know they are close to an agreement… We want a Libyan government we would be able to help and we want to push Europe to help that government,” he said.
He spoke on summit to be held in Malta later this year to debate the issue, involving more than 50 countries. He said that when, during the summit, he had said that Malta was the natural point for this summit to be held, all other countries agreed.
This, he said, would be the most important summit to be held in Malta since the Bush-Gorbachev summit.
Dr Muscat also spoke on the government’s economic successes saying the country had registered the lowest deficit in past 20 years. This was done while burdens were reduced and benefits and employment increased.
The government would be celebrating Workers’ Day with this mentality, he said. There would be reduced celebrations, he said, because the people were fed up of campaigning.
Dr Muscat also spoke about the party’s success in Gozo and said that even though it won, the government remained humble. On the other hand the Opposition had lost but was being arrogant.