Joseph Muscat tells Diplomatic Corps that diplomacy is the EU's best weapon against the challenges it facesMuscat: EU needs deal with Libya on stemming migrant flowMuscat: EU needs deal with Libya on stemming migrant flowPrime Minister Joseph Muscat this afternoon told foreign diplomats that only through effective diplomacy can the EU tackle the various challenges it faces and invited them to contribute with their ideas. “We welcome your ideas and views, as well as your criticism,” he said.Muscat was speaking at the annual exchange of New Year greetings with members of the Diplomatic Corps, where he said that Malta’s presidency of the Council of Europe constitutes a “landmark for Malta.”“Our vision is not inhibited by the fact that Malta is the smallest country in the EU. Capability and size are not mutually exclusive,” said the Prime Minister.He said that “the thrust” of the Maltese presidency will be to bring the union closer to its citizens, adding that one of the principal lessons from 2016, is that citizens need to witness good leadership. “On migration, the Turkey deal has been one of the few measures that has led to tangible results,” he said, adding that disrupting people smugglers’ business possible is the best way forward in Libya.Muscat said that the issues of security and migration have put Europe to the test in recent years, and that the EU remains the best placed mechanism to face these challenges. He said that Malta will “continue to pursue an approach of better distribution of migrants” and that it will do its utmost to build on the achievements of the Bratislava Summit on security and migration.“We are aware of the fact that different views prevail on migration, however the presidency is geared to achieve as much convergence as possible”

Source: Libya Today January 19, 2017 13:15 UTC