Prime Minister Joseph Muscat yesterday met British Prime Minister Theresa May for the first time, the Department of Information said.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly being held in New York.

The DOI quote Dr Muscat as saying that the next year will be crucial for both the EU and the United Kingdom, which is likely to officially trigger its exit procedures. Since Malta will be holding the EU presidency at the time, the country will be playing an important role in the process.

He said that the process must be fair for both sides. The UK must have a fair deal but its agreement should not be better than membership, the PM said.