Dear All,
Allow me to start by firstly thanking the Maltese government and Minister Carmelo Abela for the warm welcome, but mostly for the very constructive and forward-looking discussions we had today.
Malta has a very important task ahead. It will take up the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in January 2017, in a period during which many challenges will persist on migration, borders and security.
I was pleased to hear in the meetings I had yesterday and today that all these topics will feature highly on the political agenda of the Maltese Presidency.
We have quite some challenges ahead of us, and the European Commission remains committed to collaborate closely with Malta, as well as with the current Slovakian Presidency.
Malta has been dealing with the migratory phenomenon for a long time and has great experience in this area.
Malta is also hosting the offices of the European Asylum Support Office, EASO, which I visited yesterday and met with the staff and their Executive Director, Jose Carreira.
I hereby wish to commend EASO and its staff and management, which are doing an excellent job under immense pressure in Italy and in Greece.
Malta is making a significant contribution to the Union's Operations in the Mediterranean, to identify and process all those who arrive in the EU seeking protection.
We have proposed to boost its mandate and turn it into a fully-fledged European Asylum Agency, which will have an even more central role to play in managing the EU's asylum and migration policy in the future.
In addition, Malta has been the country where at the Valetta Summit in November 2015, together with the African leaders, the European Union has put the basis for a closer cooperation with the African countries.
Malta is an example of commitment, resilience and respect towards European values and laws.
This is valid not just for migration, but for all our endeavours, including also on border management and improving our security policies.
In addition to our proposed asylum reform, In addition to carrying out implementation on the ground with relocations, resettlements, readmissions and returns and in addition to the recently launched European Border and Coast Guard, which will be fully operational by the time Malta takes over the Presidency, we also have a lot of homework on our path towards a genuine and effective Security Union. Fighting terrorism in all its aspects remains a critical priority for the safety and cohesion of the EU.
We need to make sure that all our systems and tools are interconnected and future-proof, in order to ensure the right level of security for EU citizens.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The EU and its Member States remain committed to stay active and improve its policies on migration, security, fight against terrorism and radicalisation, but also on the management of its external borders and cooperation with international partners.
I trust that Malta will continue and improve the EU's work in all these fields during its Presidency.
I want to reassure that Malta can count on the Commission's full support in this endeavor, and I look forward to cooperating very closely with you and your colleagues, Minister Abela, in the coming months.