EU: summit in Malta about migration and preparations for the 60th anniversary of the Treaties. Tusk, “we will support Libya”

(Brussels) This morning, “the 28 heads of state and government of the EU will deal with the external dimension of migration. The discussion should be focussed on the Central Mediterranean route and Libya”. The afternoon session “will be an opportunity for the 27 leaders”, the UK “having excluded itself”, “to prepare the forthcoming 60^th anniversary of the Rome Treaties that will be celebrated on March 25^th”. This is explained in a notice of the European Council about the “informal summit” taking place today (from 10 am to 7 pm) in Malta, hosted by Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and chaired by the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk. First, the leaders will discuss the need to increase cooperation with the Libyan authorities to stem migration flows. “At the end of our discussion, we will adopt an ambitious statement, which will explain how we will move on, clearly and concretely”, to deal with migration, president Tusk states in the invitation. The EU leaders should “confirm their support to the national coalition government”. The widely-announced priorities will include “training, equipment and support to the Libyan national coastguard; strengthening initiatives to pull down trafficking with the involvement of Libya; providing Libya’s with adequate homing resources and conditions; upgrading information campaigns for migrants; increasing voluntary repatriation initiatives”.