British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has announced a three-day visit to Italy and Malta, where he will call for closer co-operation on supporting Ukraine and address “illegal migration and criminal smuggling gangs”.
Mr Cleverly will meet Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, in Rome to discuss work on preventing migrants from travelling to and around Europe illegally.
Italy is struggling with its own immigration problems as its location makes it one of the main destinations for people crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa.
During his visit to Malta, Mr Cleverly will urge the island nation to use its position on the UN Security Council to stand up for the rules-based international order after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
He, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch are expected in Italy as part of the annual Pontignano forum event.
“Italy and Malta are seen as gateways to Europe for many hundreds of thousands of desperate people seeking refuge from conflict and persecution," Mr Cleverly said.
“However, it is important that we stop illegal migration and criminal smuggling gangs, and instead ensure there are safe and legal routes.
“Over the next three days, I will discuss with my Italian and Maltese counterparts exactly how we tackle the problems of illegal migration that affect all our countries.
“We will also discuss how we accelerate support for Ukraine over the coming months by providing military, humanitarian and economic assistance.”
Russia and Ukraine conflict latest - in pictures
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A tank, seen left, fires a round in Soledar, a town in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. Reuters -
Tank fire in Soledar, Donetsk. Reuters -
Firefighters work to put out a blaze at a Kharkiv fireworks storage site after it was struck by a Russian missile. Getty -
Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine's ground forces, visits his troops on the frontline in Soledar, Donetsk. Reuters -
A Ukrainian flag attached to a tank flutters in the wind in Bakhmut. Reuters -
A specialist from an emergency crew works on a residential building in Donetsk that was damaged in recent shelling. Reuters -
A missile fragment left by shelling in Russian-controlled Donetsk. AP -
Residents remove debris and carry their belongings out of a building destroyed by recent shelling in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine. Reuters -
Ukrainian forces fire an anti-aircraft weapon as Russia's attack on the frontline city of Bakhmut continues. Reuters -
A car drives past a destroyed building purported to have been used as temporary accommodation for Russian soldiers, dozens of whom were killed in a Ukrainian missile strike in Makiivka, Russian-controlled Ukraine. Reuters -
The site of a temporary barracks for Russian soldiers in Makiivka, which was destroyed in a Ukrainian missile attack. Reuters -
A Ukrainian serviceman carries his injured comrade from the battlefield to a hospital in the Donetsk region. AP -
Smoke rises after shelling in Soledar, the site of heavy battles with Russian forces in the Donetsk region. AP
Malta holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council and Mr Cleverly will use his trip to Valletta to welcome the support the country has already provided to Ukraine, including medical assistance and the supply of generators.
The UK and Malta will sign a bilateral co-operation framework outlining a commitment to boost ties in trade, defence and culture.
