Christine Roger, Director General responsible for Justice and Home Affairs at the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union, said she is "impressed by the level of preparation, commitment and professionalism shown by Malta's administration and by the Ministry for Home Affairs and National Security vis-à-vis the country's first Presidency of the Council."
"Malta has been working full speed ahead for several months now, and is extremely well-prepared. We're very hopeful and confident," she told Minister for Home Affairs and National Security Carmelo Abela, during a meeting held at the Ministry in Valletta on Monday.
Her visit to Malta is part of the Council's process in preparation for the January-June 2017 rotating Presidency.
Ms Roger underlined the importance of the member state holding the Presidency being well prepared. This is particularly so with regard to the home affairs domain, under which extremely important and pressing issues such as migration and terrorism fall.
Minister Abela and Ms Roger discussed the ministry's work and plans for the Presidency, and the working relationship between the ministry and the Council's secretariat general till the end of the Presidency.
Minister Abela noted that he and other ministry officials have already had several meetings with members of the Council, of the European Commission and of the European Parliament to explain the Maltese Presidency's Home Affairs priorities, with several more lined up for the coming weeks. Bilateral meetings are also being held with ministers of the interior in several EU capitals.
Ms Roger was accompanied at the meeting by Raoul Ueberecken, Director Home Affairs; Nathalie Pensaert, Director Justice; and Maïlys Ramonatxo, Adviser to the Director-General.
Minister Carmelo Abela was accompanied by Anthony Vella-Gregory, Chief of Staff; Josette Zerafa, Director Policy Development and Programme Implementation; Stephanie Bason, Assistant Director in the Policy Development and Programme Implementation Directorate; Alessandro Mangion, International Affairs Political Coordinator; Fabian Psaila, EU Secretariat Coreper II Coordinator; and Leandro Borg, EU Secretariat Research Analyst.
Photograph: John Pisani/MHAS