Italo-Maltese summit on immigration this week

Maltese and Italian ministers will this week meet in Rome to discuss the latest developments in illegal immigration and coordinate a common front, particularly in the EU context.

Italian Foreign Affairs Minister Gianfranco Fini and Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu will host Deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg and Foreign Minister Michael Frendo in Rome on Thursday for discussions on the problems both countries are facing with the influx of illegal immigrants.

Sources close to the Foreign Ministry also said the two Maltese ministers will be meeting EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini, who will be in Rome at the same time.

These meetings will follow last week's important decision taken by the European Commission to create an emergency fund of €20 million in order to help countries hit by sudden immigration problems. The decision taken by Mr Frattini was in direct response to a Maltese proposal which was also backed in the EU by the Italian government.

Dr Borg yesterday told The Times that the Commission's proposal showed that Malta's voice was being heard.

He said that the government had long been insisting with the Commission and the member states on the need for such a fund. He said that although this would not solve all the problems it was a step in the right direction.

The fund will form part of the European Refugee Fund programme and the Commission wants it to become available before next summer.

The first details on the proposal are expected to be presented to the EU Justice and Home Affairs ministers in December.