Minister for Home Affairs and National Security Carmelo Abela today met with the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini as well as with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of Luxembourg, Etienne Schneider to discuss the security of European borders.

During the meeting, Ministers discussed the future development of the Common Security and Defence Policy based on the decisions by Heads of State and Government at the European Council in June 2015 and the Council meeting of Ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs in May 2015. Ministers touched on the launch of the new CSDP military naval operation in the Southern Central Mediterranean to disrupt human smuggling networks, known as EUNAVFOR MED.

Malta has contributed to this new operation all the way from planning to inception through specialised personnel from the Armed Forces of Malta in Brussels and at its headquarters in Rome. 

In his intervention, Minister Abela commended the entire Mission and Operation Commanders and their forces for their significant achievements to-date.  He said that Malta supported the progress since the launch of EUNAVFOR MED and the efforts to establish a clearer picture of the migrant smuggling situation in the Central Southern Mediterranean.

Malta had stressed from the outset that the migration flows are not just an issue for the southernmost EU Member States, but a European problem, and that this problem should be tackled in the same way the EU deals with challenges on its other borders, and with the same resolve. The events of 18/19 April 2015 and accelerating momentum since, had changed realities across Europe.

Minister Abela finally emphasised the migration problem needs to be tackled with resolve. He strongly insisted that the events at Europe’s borders reconfirmed more than ever before the urgency to link internal and external security. Taking up a comment made by High Representative on moving forward, Minister Abela said that the current circumstances indeed dictated the need to move forward. He concluded that this is a daily human crisis and therefore it is ultimately an issue of credibility for the EU.