EU works hard to prevent tragedy in Mediterranean: officials

Senior European Union (EU) officials on Thursday expressed sorrow over the recent tragedy in the Mediterranean, saying the EU is working hard to prevent these terrible tragedies.

European Commission's First Vice President Frans Timmermans, High Representative for Foreign Policy Federica Mogherini and Migration and Home Affairs Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos made the remarks in a joint statement.

"It is with great sadness that we learned of the incident that took place just a few miles off the coast of Libya yesterday," they said.

At least 25 migrants died when their boat capsizes off the Libyan coast on Wednesday with hundreds of people onboard, and some 400 have been rescued.

The statement said the EU commended the Italian Coast Guard, the Frontex-deployed assets and boats operated by Medecins Sans Frontieres and Migrant Offshore Aid Station for saving lives.

"The EU is working hard to prevent these terrible tragedies," they said, referring to the measures the European Commission has taken, including the presenting of the European Agenda on Migration in May, which combines internal and external policies.

"There is no simple, nor single, answer to the challenges posed by migration. And nor can any Member State effectively address migration alone. It is clear that we need a new, more European approach," officials said.

The EU will hold a summit on migrant issues in Valetta in November with African countries, with one of the focus on clamping down on smuggling networks. Endit