Leaders of European Union’s Mediterranean nations huddle in Malta to discuss migration

By KEVIN SCHEMBRI ORLAND
Associated Press

VALLETTA, Malta (AP) — The leaders of nine southern European Union countries are meeting in Malta on Friday to discuss common challenges such as migration. The nations represented at Friday’s huddle included host Malta, France, Greece, Italy, Croatia, Cyprus, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain. Slovenia and Croatia, which have a coastline on the Adriatic Sea, were added to the “Med Group” in 2021, Top EU officials were invited to the closed-door meeting. The leaders of the EU’s 27 nations have an informal European Council meeting scheduled for next week in Spain, and Portugal’s prime minister said the Malta gathering will help shape a path toward that appointment. The huddle’s main aim is to help develop consensus among the members on major issues. However, unity among EU members on migration has been elusive.