ROME — Officials say the leaders of France, Italy, and Spain will hold a meeting in Malta that is likely to be dominated by economic issues related to Europe's debt crisis.

The three will meet Friday while attending a Mediterranean summit of southern European and North African countries.

A schedule released Thursday by the office of French President Francois Hollande said he, Italian Premier Mario Monti and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will hold a three-way meeting.

No further details were provided.

The Malta summit of five European and five African nations is expected to focus on fighting terrorism and lawlessness in North African as well as France's push for a military intervention in Mali, where Islamist rebels have taken control in the north.