Foreign minister Luigi Di Maio on Friday doubled down on Italy's calls for the whole European Union to show solidarity on migration with countries at the bloc's external borders.
"It is of primary importance to create genuinely effective solidarity mechanisms on which to base relocation measures," Di Maio stated.
"Countries where migrants arrive must not be left to shoulder the burden alone, especially following search and rescue operations," Di Maio underlined.
The EU foreign and interior ministers on Monday will provide a good opportunity to discuss issues around the increased responsibilities of states like Italy and the limited solidarity of the other member states, he said.
Di Maio's remarks came after he held talks with Malta's foreign minister Evarist Bartolo on Thursday.
Migration issue were a focus of the talks, which also centred on bilateral relations, European cooperation against organised crime, Libya and EU-southern neighbourhood relations, according to a foreign ministry statement.
