Italy is supporting Malta’s bid to host the European asylum and support office, Italian secretary of state Enzo Scotti said this morning.

Prof. Scotti was speaking during the launch of a bilingual publication - Malta & Italia: Hbiberija Dejjiema, Un’ Amicizia Duratura, outlining the assistance Italy gave Malta through financial protocols over the years.

Italy is the second country to be publically supporting Malta’s bid for the office. The Polish President declared Poland’s support last week.

Foreign Minister Tonio Borg said that another six to seven countries were also supporting Malta’s bid but he would not say which these countries were.

Malta’s main competitor for the office is Bulgaria.

Dr Borg also announced that Italy’s President Giorgio Napolitano had accepted to visit Malta next year.

He acknowledged Italy’s assistance to Malta and said this easily ran up to €1 billion.

Prof. Scotti noted that despite the difficulties that might arise from time to time Malta and Italy had a lasting relationship and this was manifested by the two countries jointly putting pressure on the EU for immigration to become a European issue.

Europe, he said, had been looking towards the east and it was time it also looked to the south.