After talking with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, during a press conference Chancellor Angela Merkel praised relations with Malta, which she called “so pleasing and good that we didn’t have to discuss them much”. As a result, she added, they were able to concentrate entirely on the country’s forthcoming Council Presidency. On 1 January 2017, Malta, following Slovenia on its rotation, will take over the six-month EU Council Presidency for the first time.
The Chancellor said she wished the Maltese Presidency every success. “Times are difficult in the European Union for the Presidency”, said Merkel. For this reason, she offered the Prime Minister support, “and wherever we can be helpful, we will endeavour to be so”.

"Bratislava Process" Agenda

Merkel underlined the significance of the EU Summit on Malta slated for February 2017. There, the discussion process begun in Bratislava in September on future activities of the 27 EU states remaining after “Brexit” shall be continued.
Matters relating to internal and external security, as well as to migration, could play a special role in this connection, said the Chancellor. “But I do very much appreciate that Malta also attaches great importance to the Digital Agenda which we included on the agenda in Bratislava”.

Migration Remains on the Agenda

The Chancellor emphasised that the migration issue “clearly has yet to be conclusively resolved”. Illegal migration, she added, originates particularly in Libya, which is “in a complicated political situation” without a stable government. Moreover, according to Merkel, one has to deal with “the internal problems of the European Union regarding a fairer sharing of burdens in connection with protecting external borders, in connection with migration partnerships, but also in connection with distribution of refugees”.
She said she hoped that the EU would make more progress in this regard under Maltese leadership in the first six months of 2017: “In any case, this issue will remain on our agenda”. As a follow-up to the 2015 Valetta Summit, the subject of contacts with the African continent will also continue to play a role, said the Chancellor. Muscat agreed that progress must be made in solving problems regarding the Mediterranean route and the concept of migration partnerships.

The Republic of Malta is a country consisting of three islands forming an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. These islands include the main island of Malta and islands of Gozo and Comino, situated about 90 km south of Sicily, 320 km east of Tunisia and 350 km north of Tripoli. Covering 316 square kilometres and having about 420,000 inhabitants, the country is the smallest member state of the European Union, which it joined on 1 May 2004. About 400,000 Maltese live abroad. The capital is Valetta (about 5,750 residents). The national language is Maltese, which is a branch of Arabic. English is the second official language, but some Italian is also spoken. Since 2008, the national currency has been the euro. Because of the Schengen Agreement, Malta has no border controls.

Agreement on the "Brexit" Issue

Regarding the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, Merkel and her Maltese guest agreed “that we are waiting for Great Britain to trigger Article 50”. According to Prime Minister May, that would not occur before the end of March. Before then, there would be no bilateral agreements.
Prime Minister Muscat added that Malta has close relations with Great Britain because of the colonial period. He said he was seeking a “fair deal”. London, he said, could not detach itself from the principle of the EU four freedoms. Moreover, under no circumstances should there be an arrangement sought by Great Britain that in the end would be better than EU membership. On the contrary, the Maltese Prime Minister made clear that “it must be worse”. He said this is a point upon which the 27 European Union members should agree when Brexit negotiations commence in 2017.