(ANSA) - ROME, DEC 22 - Premier Giorgia Meloni on Sunday highlighted the commitment to defend external borders and said Russia or criminal organizations would not be allowed to undermine security, speaking at the end of the North-South Summit on European security and defence in Saariselkä, in the Finnish region of Lapland.
    "We want to defend external borders and we don't want to allow Russia or criminal organizations to undermine our security", said Meloni. The gathering was hosted by Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and attended, in addition to Meloni, by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas, Greek Prime Minister Kyriákos Mitsotakis and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
    Meloni went on to say that the EU is dealing with "great challenges".
    "Our countries have often been considered and have found themselves on opposite sides within the EU, with the North and the so-called frugal on one side and the nations of the South accused of being spendthrifts, something I believe is a prejudice, on the other.
    "These nations are now here to talk about the theme of security, and this shows that we have understood that the world has changed and we can't deal with challenges if we don't understand the point of view and problems of others", she noted. (ANSA).