Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (1st R) meets with Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat (2nd L) in Valletta, capital of Malta, on May 27, 2017. An EU-Japan trade agreement is a top priority for the EU, said Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in a joint press statement with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday. (Xinhua/Yuan Yun)
VALLETTA, May 27 (Xinhua) -- An EU-Japan trade agreement is a top priority for the EU, said Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in a joint press statement with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday.
He said Malta was reflecting the position of the EU and this is an issue Malta will be pressing on in the final month of EU presidency, which will be taken over Estonia at the end of June.
Muscat also said he and Abe exchanged ideas on various areas, including educational exchanges as well as commercial and trade issues.
According to Abe, they agreed on the maintenance of a strong Europe and the importance of promoting European integration.
The two leaders also discussed issues of regional issues in the Mediterranean and Asia.
Shinzo Abe was in Malta for official talks after having attended a meeting of G7 in Italy's Taormina.
Japan-Malta diplomatic relations were established in 1965, but this was the first time an acting Japanese prime minister visited the island.
