OPR- Monday, 17th January, 2005

The President of Malta, H.E. Dr. Edward Fenech Adami and Mrs. Fenech Adami this morning left Malta on a State Visit to the Czech Republic. The President, accompanied by the Minister of Investment, Industry and Information Technology, the Hon. Austin Gatt arrives in Prague early in the afternoon.

The President will have talks with the President of the Czech Republic, H.E. Vaclav Klaus. At the end of the official discussions, a Cultural Programme 2005/2007 will be signed by Minister Austin Gatt and Ms. Petra Buzkova, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports.

Later in the morning the President will meet the First Deputy Chairman of the Senate, Mr. Petr Pithart and the Lord Mayor of Prague, Mr. Pavel Bem. In the afternoon, the President meets the Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament, Mr. Lubomir Zaorálek, followed by a meeting at Lichtenstein Palace, with the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Mr. Stanislav Gross.

In the evening the President of Malta and Mrs. Fenech Adami will be the guests of the President and Mrs. Klausová at a state dinner at Prague Castle.

On Wednesday, the President lays a wreath at the Memorial of Vitĕzné Square and then proceeds to the Hradec Králové region.

The Hon. Austin Gatt accompanied by members of a Maltese Commercial Delegation, will be having talks with the Czech Minister of Informatics, Dr. Vladimir Mlynar and also with the Minister of Industry and Trade Ing. Martin Tlapa.

A business meeting for Czech entrepreneurs will be addressed by the Hon. Austin Gatt, Mr. Joseph Zammit Tabona, Chairman of Malta Enterprise and by Mr. Chris Grech, Chairman of the Malta Tourism Authority.

The Presidents of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association, Malta Federation of Industry, Malta Employers Association, Malta Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise form part of the commercial delegation along with the Director of the Malta Federation of English Language Teaching Organisations.  The Chairman of the Corinthia Group of Companies and the Chief Operating Officer of Air Malta are also on the delegation.

The President and Mrs. Fenech Adami return on Wednesday, 19^th January 2005.