Scores of countries and organisations to attend Malta summit

(BRUSSELS) - The heads of state and government from most of the EU member countries and more than 30 African nations are due in the Maltese capital Valletta on Wednesday for talks on tackling Europe's migration crisis.

The two-day summit ending Thursday will be followed immediately by an informal gathering of EU leaders who will take stock of their quest for a unified response to the continent's biggest movement of people since World War II.

Out of the 28 European Union member states, 24 will be represented in Malta at the heads of state or government level, while ministers will stand in for the others, according to a list of participants provided by a diplomat.

There will also be a "strong showing" from the African leaders of the 35 countries invited, the diplomat said.

The countries are Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Gambia and Togo.

Observer countries due to be represented are Algeria, Norway, Iceland, and Switzerland.

The African Union and the Economic Community Of West African States Commission (ECOWAS) will be present.

Also attending will be delegates from the EU border control agency Frontex, the European Asylum Support Office as well as the international police agency Interpol and Europol, the EU police agency. Martin Schulz, president of the European Parliament, will also be there.

Other invitees include UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and delegates from the International Office of Migration, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the UN Development Programme.

There will be delegates from the League of Arab States, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the Economic Community of Central African States, the Southern African Development Community, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies will be present.