Brussels, 14/01/2010 (Agence Europe) - Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the European Council, is continuing his round of the capitals with a view to preparing the informal European Council of 11 February dedicated to the economic crisis and the new EU 2020 strategy, as well as to follow-up of the Copenhagen conference on climate change. On Wednesday 13 January, he was in Malta where he discussed matters with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi. During the evening, he was in Berlin for a meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel. On Thursday 14 January, he met Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt in Stockholm. While in Malta, Van Rompuy also discussed the matter of illegal immigration with Gonzi, as this poses a particular problem for the island. “We must examine these issues in the European Council in the spirit of solidarity”, Van Rompuy stressed. As agreed by the heads of state and government in October 2008, “the Council of June 2010 will hold a first debate on implementation of the Asylum and Immigration Pact, as well as on the relevant measures of the Stockholm programme”. In Berlin, the president of the European Council above all stressed the significant role that Germany will have to play in following up the Copenhagen conference on climate change as the host of the next negotiation meeting, scheduled to be held at the end of May/in early June in Bonn. (H.B./transl.jl)