Visit to Malta by the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Andrej Babiš

The issue of migration as seen by Malta and the Czech Republic came to the fore during a press conference addressed by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and the Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, with both leaders stressing the need for a multi-faceted EU strategy to tackle the issue. Both leaders noted that the migration flow to Europe in the central Mediterranean decreased by 80% during the past year thanks to a myriad of initiatives amongst them and the positive engagement with the Libyan coast guard to intercept the flow of illegal immigrants. Prime Minister Muscat said that Malta is the only EU member state that dedicates all of its technical capabilities for search and rescue operations where migration is concerned. He stressed the need for member states and parties operating in the Mediterranean to abide by the rules and international treatises. Dr Muscat spoke against the concept of a Europe of enclaves and highlighted the fact that EU member states, although with different realities, need to understand one another better. The Czech Prime Minister said that Prague is ready to help with systematic solutions on migration, while mentioning the need for an agreement with Libya. Prime Minister Babiš said that in the forthcoming EU budget there should be a correlation between money allocation, European security, and aid to African countries.​