Mr Moratinos is currently in Malta, accompanying King Juan Carlos on a state visit.

“We understand Malta’s problem with illegal immigration and hence will put this problem as one of the priorities of the EU during the Spanish Presidency during the first half of 2010. We want to go to concrete terms. Frontex will be given a new role, in order to be more efficient. The Spanish Presidency will be in close contact with Malta, Greece and Cyprus in order to achieve a new momentum and obtain much better results in immigration. The pilot project by the European Union, a project undertaken due to Malta’s pressure on the EU now needs to be re-enforced with further measures,” Mr Moratinos said.

Mr Moratinos and his Maltese counterpart, Tonio Borg, also signed 6 bilateral agreements on their countries’ behalf.

The agreements include 3 memoranda of understanding, on the establishment of a Malta-Spain joint committee on merchant shipping, on cooperation in the field of cultural heritage and regarding archives of interest to the common history of the 2 countries.

The 2 countries have also agreed to cooperation between the Spanish Diplomatic School and the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies within the University of Malta, to an exchange programme of language assistance and to a cooperation programme in the areas of culture, education and sciences covering the years 2009-2012.

The 2 Foreign Ministries also signed a joint statement to strengthen cooperation between them.

 In pictures: King Juan Carlos I of Spain - official visit to Malta

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