Prague, Nov 11 (CTK special correspondent) – The summit on migration in Malta is to help restrict people smuggling and set the rules for refugees´ readmission, Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka told reporters before his departure for Malta.
He added that he would expect the summit to adopt a declaration between the European Union and African countries.
The talks of the EU 28, African states and Turkey must bring realistic solutions, otherwise the summit would be useless, Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) said.
For the Czech Republic, the key goal to be reached in Valletta is an agreement with Africa and Turkey on a joint handling of the migrants´ flow.
Europe has not yet paid enough attention to the developments in its close surroundings, and it has underestimated some risks, for instance, the situation in Libya and the war in Syria from which hundreds of thousands of refugees are running to Europe, said Sobotka who will also defend the interests of Poland at the summit.
The EU countries´ heads of government and African representatives will discuss a better targetting of development cooperation and support for investments in Africa.
The Emergency Trust Fund for Africa will be officially established at the summit. The Czech Republic has already contributed 600,000 euros to it.
In harmony with a mandate from the government, Sobotka will primarily push for improving the border protection and the system of refugees´ registration, which should prevent smugglers from profiting from illegal migration.
The EU countries want to improve the control of the EU outer border by strengthening the powers of the Frontex European border protection agency.
The talks in Malta may also result in Frontex´s higher budget and its own staff and equipment. So far, the agency has to ask the EU member states for everything.
After the two-day summit, the EU prime ministers will informally meet to debate the measures taken to fight the migrant crisis.
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