Brussels, 21/05/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 22 May, Eastern Mediterranean ministers of the interior (the three Maghreb countries, Mauritania and Libya, as well as Spain, France, Italy, Malta and Portugal) will be meeting in Nouakchott (Mauritania). This will be the 13th meeting between senior leaders from this public authorities group of “5+5” countries. It has existed since 1990 and constitutes a concertation framework for neighbouring countries on specific sub-region issues, particularly immigration and security. Thursday's agenda will focus on the fight against terrorism, organised crime and illegal immigration.
During their 12th session in Nice (France) in May 2006, ministers agreed to develop cooperation against illegal immigration. According to media sources in the Maghreb, this cooperation aims to “identify the underlying reasons for this phenomenon and demands common action and consensus on development questions in countries of origin and host countries. This dossier, however, involves the controversial issue of “detention centres”, as sought by Europe but which raises a number of misgivings in Southern Mediterranean countries”. (F.B.)