VALLETTA, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Boosting economy in North Africa, reducing inequalities and boosting private investment are important in tackling the root cause of migration, said Maltese Finance Minister Edward Scicluna at an informal meeting of EU economic and financial affairs ministers held in Malta on Saturday.
According to Scicluna, North African countries are gateway to Europe, through which many people from the Sub Saharan region reached Europe, so these countries need to be strong in order to help stem the migration.
Valdis Dombrovskis, vice-president of the European Commission, also admitted that the EU has a strategic interest in cooperating with North African countries to address the root causes of migration.
He called for financial instruments to create viable projects, and barriers lifting to encourage private investment in the region.
Angel Gurria, secretary-general of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), underlined the importance of good governance frameworks and other elements, such as education, rule of law and transparency, in creating an investment-friendly environment.
He said all institutions are now working together to deal with the issues, and the OECD will be coordinating the parts.
