Malta – Visit by Jean-Yves Le Drian (Valletta, 17-18 January 2019)
Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, will visit Malta from 17 to 18 January to take part in the ministerial meeting of the 5+5 Dialogue between the Western Mediterranean states. This meeting, which will be co-chaired by the Algerian and Maltese foreign ministers and will have the theme “Working Together: A Sustainable Future for the Western Mediterranean,” will focus on regional crises, notably in Libya, migration issues and sustainable development challenges.
During this meeting, Jean-Yves Le Drian will present the process aimed at bringing together, at the invitation of President Macron, representatives of civil society and the Western Mediterranean heads of state and government for the “Summit of Two Shores, Mediterranean Forum” on June 24 in Marseille. He will call on his counterparts to commit to this initiative in order to make the summit in Marseille a success and to re-establish a more inclusive Mediterranean policy.
Jean-Yves Le Drian will also have bilateral meetings with his Maltese counterpart, Carmelo Abela, and with Michael Farrugia, Maltese Minister for Home Affairs and National Security.
The minister will discuss cooperation in the fight against terrorism, Brexit and the rule of law with his interlocutors. The minister will reaffirm our determination to ensure that a long-term European response based on the principles of responsibility and solidarity is given to the challenge of migration, with due respect for the right to asylum, in order to effectively combat the trafficking of human beings and smugglers. France has just demonstrated its solidarity once again by agreeing to accept 60 people rescued at sea by the Maltese Navy since December 30 and by sending OFPRA (Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons) teams to Valletta to collect data on those who are in need of protection and could be received in our country.