In a recent Eurobarometer survey, the Maltese expressed strong support for the EU to provide financial assistance to neighbouring countries experiencing internal conflict.

The survey, entitled “The EU’s relations with its neighbours”, was conducted between May and June this year.

Notably, 71 per cent of Cypriots sustained the idea of the EU providing financial support for conflict resolution in neighbouring countries.

According to the Eurobarometer publication, this strong support could stem from the fact that they are sensitive to the conflict in their immediate neighbourhood in Lebanon.

Higher support for EU action in this area was also expressed by the Maltese (60 per cent), Denmark (55 per cent) and Greece (55 per cent).

A contrary view is held in France (56 per cent), Belgium (54 per cent) and the UK (53 per cent) where the majority of respondents opposed financial aid for dealing with conflicts in neighbouring countries of the EU.

On a totally different note, the Maltese also expressed strong support for developing specific relations in education and training.

Across the EU, 81 per cent of citizens surveyed attach importance to education and training in developing specific relations with neighbouring countries of the Union.

The strongest support for developing specific relations in education and training was expressed in Poland (92 per cent), Cyprus (89 per cent), Malta (88 per cent) and Greece (88 per cent).

In contrast, almost a fifth of German, Dutch and Swedish interviewees (19 per cent for all three) attach little or no importance to this kind of cooperation.

In the Mediterranean, shared maritime borders seem to influence country results the most. Compared to the EU average, a higher share of respondents in Greece and

Spain, Portugal and Malta but Cyprus in particular, perceive countries in the south-eastern Mediterranean to be neighbours.

Compared to survey results from 2006, the perception of Mediterranean countries as

neighbours has risen notably in Greece, Spain and Portugal.

A striking example was noted in Spain where 54 per cent consider Morocco to be a neighbour compared to last year’s 44 per cent. The Maltese, on the other hand, perceived eastern Mediterranean countries to be neighbours to a lesser extent than last year.