Euro socialists pledge to assist Labour

The Labour Party's candidates for the European parliament elections - Glenn Beddingfield, Louis Grech and Joseph Muscat - attended a meeting of the European Socialists in Brussels.

Candidate John Attard Montalto could not be present because of other commitments, the Labour Party said.

The three candidates met the leader of the socialist group, Enrique Baron Crespo, who encouraged them to work to obtain the best possible results for the MLP. The European Socialists, Mr Crespo said, would be assisting the party as far as possible.

The three candidates were accompanied by senior Labour parliamentarian in the EP, George Vella.

Labour leader Alfred Sant is also in Brussels for a meeting of the group which is discussing the future of the stability pact and the EU intergovernmental conference.

The meeting will be addressed by former Danish prime minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen and former Italian prime minister and vice-president of the Convention on the Future of Europe, Giuliano Amato.