EU referendum, migration dominate UK-Malta talks
PM Joseph Muscat called for balance within the EU, Cameron emphasizes importance of fighting terrorism in Libya
The fate of the United Kingdom within the European Union dominated bilateral talks between prime ministers Joseph Muscat and David Cameron.
The UK is due to vote on whether the country will remain in the EU or not in June.
Mucsat said that Europe needs to find a balance between states that favour a federalist approach and those that favour a closer Europe.
“For economic and political reasons, the EU and the UK need one another,” he said. Once an agreement had been reached with the EU, he added, the decision on whether to remain an EU member was a sovereign right of the British people.
The situation in Libya was also discussed, with Cameron stating that the priority at this time is to ensure political action against terrorism, as well as the rebuilding of the nation’s economic structures. Muscat reiterated the importance of seeking regional stability, which also ties in with the issue of migration in the Mediterranean.
This week’s European summit, which will take place in Brussels this week, was also a point of discussion, with migration and the role of Turkey in handling refugees from the crisis in Syria of most concern. Both the UK and Malta agreed that while the EU should support Turkey and the refugees it currently shelters, it would be unwise to assume that trafficking would not take place through other means.
