Greece Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, right, is welcomed by Malta Prime Minister Joseph Muscat on the occasion of the Mediterranean Summit of Southern EU countries in Valetta, Malta, Friday, June 14, 2019. (AP Photo/Jonathan Borg)

Southern EU leaders seek united policy front at meeting

By The Associated Press June 14, 2019 at 9:37am

ROME (AP) — The leaders of southern European nations gathered in Malta on Friday to build a united front on key economic and political issues before next week’s European Council meeting.

Key European Union jobs, migration issues and climate change were at the top of the agenda in Valletta, where the meeting included the leaders of France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus and Malta.

At a final news conference, Malta’s prime minister, Joseph Muscat, said the main focus of the summit was to reach “common ground” on the priorities of the EU for the next five years.

The southern European leaders discussed climate change, among other issues, with the aim of making all EU countries set a goal of being carbon neutral by 2050.

Economic and social policies were also in focus, with the leaders agreeing on the need to discuss a “European minimum salary” to face high unemployment levels across Europe.

Migration and cooperation with African countries to help managing migrant flows were also among the top priorities, with both Malta and Italy stressing the need to tighten EU immigration and asylum policies.

All the leaders voiced their worries over the conflict in Libya, which also risks fuelling migrants’ departures from the country in the coming months.

“We need to work together for a cease-fire in Libya and promote political dialogue,” Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte said.

French President Emmanuel Macron asked for more solidarity in EU migration policies and promised that the new EU leaders will be chosen based on a common agreement.

The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

Submit a Correction →

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:

WJ Wire

The Associated Press

SummaryMore Biographical InformationRecent PostsContact

The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter

@AP

Facebook

The Associated Press was the first private sector organization in the U.S. to operate on a national scale. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul.

Today, they operate in 263 locations in more than 100 countries relaying breaking news, covering war and conflict and producing enterprise reports that tell the world's stories.

Location

New York City