Prime Minister to hold talks with Merkel

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi is today expected to hold bilateral talks with the Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel during a three-day official visit in Germany.

This is the first time Dr Gonzi is on an official visit to Germany on the invitation of the German government.

Although there is no fixed agenda, Dr Gonzi and Ms Merkel are expected to discuss a number of bilateral issues as well as the much talked about EU Pact on Illegal Migration and Asylum, particularly the voluntary repatriation agreement.

The meeting, taking place over a working lunch in Berlin, will be followed by a joint press conference.

Earlier, Dr Gonzi is expected to participate in a business breakfast at the Deutsche Bank Headquarters.

The meeting strongly indicates that Deutsche Bank will be investing in the setting up of a branch in Malta.

After the meeting with Ms Merkel, Dr Gonzi will deliver a speech on Malta as an EU member state and the country's ambitions for the future.

He will then meet Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeirer followed by a dinner hosted by the German-Maltese Parliamentary Friendship Group.

Tomorrow, Dr Gonzi will travel to Hamburg where he will meet government officials there and pay an official visit to the headquarters of Lufthansa Technik.

On Thursday, he will travel to Stuttgart where he will visit the international headquarters of the multinational company ProMinent, followed by a courtesy call on the rector of the University of Heidelberg.

The Prime Minister, who is accompanied by Foreign Minister Tonio Borg and Malta's Permanent Representative to the EU Richard Cachia Caruana, will return to Malta on Thursday.