Italy's hardline interior minister Matteo Salvini and his Maltese opposite number Michael Farrugia held talks in Helsinki, Finland Wednesday aimed at jointly fighting illegal immigration, Salvini said on Facebook.
"Greetings from Helsinki. A meeting with my Maltese colleague to join forces against illegal immigration and human traffickers. We always defend our borders and the security of Italians," read the post.
Italy and the island of Malta are the two closest European countries to Libya and Tunisia, from where the Mediterranean migrant boats set sail.
