Europe

Southern EU leaders make show of unity at Lisbon meeting

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, France's President Francois Hollande and Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, from left, pose for a group photo at Lisbon's Belem Cultural Center Saturday, Jan. 28 2017. The leaders of France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Malta and Cyprus are attending an informal summit of southern European Union countries. (AP Photo/Armando Franca) (The Associated Press)

France's President Francois Hollande, 2nd left, joins Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, left, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, and Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, right, for a group photo at Lisbon's Belem Cultural Center Saturday, Jan. 28 2017. The leaders of France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Malta and Cyprus are attending an informal summit of southern European Union countries. (AP Photo/Armando Franca) (The Associated Press)

Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, France's President Francois Hollande, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, Cyprus' President Nicos Anastasiades and Italy's Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, from left to right, pose for a group photo at Lisbon's Belem Cultural Center Saturday, Jan. 28 2017. The leaders of France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Malta and Cyprus are attending an informal summit of southern European Union countries. (AP Photo/Armando Franca) (The Associated Press)

Seven southern European leaders are holding a summit to emphasize their commitment to the European Union, in the wake of Britain's vote to leave the bloc.

The informal half-day meeting in Lisbon on Saturday includes the leaders of France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Cyprus and Malta, as well as host Portugal.

Portuguese officials say the seven leaders will commit their countries to closer cooperation on border security and efforts to fight terrorism.

They will also consider ways of spurring economic growth and coordinating their economies, which all use the euro currency. EU growth is on the whole sluggish.

The countries have already signaled they are prepared to surrender more national sovereignty to EU institutions.