Pedro Sánchez: "In Cyprus, Malta and Italy I felt the certainty that we want a more Mediterranean Europe

Chigi palace, Rome (Italy)

Pedro Sánchez has held a bilateral meeting in Rome with the President of the Italian Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni. This meeting, which is part of the preparatory tour for the Presidency of the Council of the EU, follows the two bilateral meetings that the President of the Government of Spain held yesterday with his counterparts in Nicosia (Cyprus) and Valletta (Malta). The president stressed that the Mediterranean is the heart of Europe and that Spain, Italy, Malta and Cyprus share the Mediterranean reality and together have much to say on the major issues facing the European Union today.

This Wednesday morning, the President of the Government of Spain discussed with Giorgia Meloni the situation that Europe is going through as a result of Putin's war. The European Union will continue to make the necessary efforts to support Ukraine in all areas, as Pedro Sánchez reiterated today. He stressed that now is the time to show that Europe has a role to play in the world, recalling that today more than ever it is necessary to remain firmly united.

In this respect, the president recalled that the response to the financial crisis a decade ago divided Europe in two, while in the face of Putin's war, the 27 have responded united. The president underlined that the green transition, the digital transformation and sustainable and inclusive economic growth provide the opportunity to close the gaps of the past and create a one-speed Europe, recalling that unity will make it possible to tackle common challenges such as the climate emergency.

Spain and Italy, a long history of cultural ties

The need for Europe to continue to move towards an autonomy that allows for reindustrialisation and the creation of quality jobs was one of the issues addressed by the President of the Government of Spain and his Italian counterpart.

Spain and Italy are part of the MED-5 and MED-9, the last summit of which was held in Alicante last year. President Sánchez stressed that there are a number of genuinely Mediterranean interests that must be defended jointly. Such is the case of the strategic importance of the Southern Neighbourhood, which President Sánchez discussed with Giorgia Meloni during their bilateral meeting, recalling that the countries of the South are currently suffering the impact of Putin's war in Ukraine, and stressing that stability in the Southern Neighbourhood is fundamental for Europe.

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, at the Chigi palace in Rome | Pool Moncloa/Fernando Calvo

The two leaders were able to address the issue of migration, and the President of the Government of Spain reiterated the importance of balance between solidarity and responsibility. Furthermore, he underlined the importance of making progress on the Migration and Asylum Pact, in building close cooperative relations with countries of origin and transit.

Spain and Italy also share the importance that debates such as competitiveness, the electricity market and the reform of tax rules have today in the European sphere. Furthermore, the President of the Government of Spain stressed the long history of exchanges and friendship that unite the two countries, and recalled that this year marks the 150th anniversary of the Spanish Academy in Rome, and that last Friday, the Spanish-Italian Forum was held in the Italian capital. In this context, the President of the Government of Spain stressed that the ties between Spain and Italy are also reflected in the presence of Erasmus students, tourists and Italian and Spanish business people who have settled in both countries.

Cyprus, Malta and Italy, a Mediterranean Tour

This brings to an end a new preparatory tour for the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU, which has brought the President of the Government of Spain closer to the realities and priorities of each country in the run-up to the role that Spain will take on 1 July. The President of the Government of Spain stressed that in each of the three countries he has visited, he has felt the certainty that we want a Europe that is more Mediterranean and more aware of its realities, reiterating that the Mediterranean is the heart of Europe.

During his meeting with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, President Sánchez addressed three issues that will be priorities for Spain during its Presidency of the Council of the EU: energy, migration and open strategic autonomy. Both Spain and Cyprus are located at either end of the Mediterranean, which is why both leaders agreed on the importance of promoting a stable framework of relations between the EU and the Southern Neighbourhood during their meeting in Nicosia.

The meeting with the Prime Minister of Malta, Robert Abela, was instrumental in addressing the drive for open strategic autonomy, energy and digital transformation and the reform of the Migration and Asylum Pact. During their meeting in Valletta, the two leaders agreed on the importance of Europe's reindustrialisation, agreeing on the impact it will have on the continent's autonomy and resilience.

Non official translation