Prague, Feb 28 (CTK) – Czech PM Bohuslav Sobotka and his Maltese counterpart, Joseph Muscat, agreed that their countries differ on the question of the compulsory redistribution of migrants in the EU at their meeting in Prague yesterday, and they discussed ways to reach consensus in this area.
The future of the EU and the March summit were also on the agenda of their meeting.
Malta presides the EU in the first half of 2017.
Sobotka mentioned a forthcoming meeting of the Visegrad Four (V4) countries’ prime ministers that is to deal with a different quality of foods sold in the EU’s western and eastern countries.
The V4 is comprised of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.
Sobotka and Muscat appreciated the fact that the EU members agreed at a recent summit in Malta on ways to protect the EU external border and tackle the sources of migration in the countries from migrants have been flowing to Europe.
They stated that it will be more difficult to seek a compromise on solving the problem of the refugees who already stay in Europe.
The Czech Republic has been long opposed to a mechanism based on compulsory migrant allocation quotas, while Malta supports the system.
Muscat said Malta is capable of recognising various specific positions, based on which it is open to solutions.
He praised Sobotka’s attitudes at EU summits, where he has tried to seek a path forwards.
Sobotka said he did not discuss concrete measures with Muscat yesterday. Their talks focused on the approach the countries should take to facilitate consensus, he said.
The EU summit in Rome in late March is to approve a declaration on the EU’s future.
“We are interested in Europe being capable of action and comprehensible,” Sobotka said.
The Rome declaration should help explain why cooperation in the EU is better than other alternatives, he said.
Muscat said he prefers a declaration on the future to mere praising hitherto successes.
He and Sobotka also discussed Brexit, as well as the March 2 summit of the V4 in Warsaw, that will focus on the problem of a different quality of foods.
Muscat said he considers it important for consumers to know what foods they are served and what they consume.
Sobotka said he would be glad if the European Commission and the Maltese presidency paid more attention to the issue.
rtj/dr/ms
