OPR- Wednesday, 5th July, 2006

Mr Mayor

Counsellors

It gives me great pleasure to be with you in Tunis, birth place of renowned 14th century historian and philosopher Ibn Khaldun, home to the most remarkable collection of mosaics in the world and the inspiration of an entire artistic movement: the “Ecole de Tunis”.  Living history here, in this magnificent Town Hall itself is a tribute to Tunisian tradition in modernity.

History and geography have given Malta and Tunisia a shared legacy, including our Phoenician and Carthaginian heritage.

Every Maltese who visits Tunis is immediately reminded of the Maltese, or Tunisian, proverb – depending on your point of view – Malta ħanina ħobż bis-sardina – is a witness, some say, to a generous disposition of our Peoples and more probably, to the extreme poverty characterising the spontaneous waves of Maltese immigrants to Tunisia in the mid 18^th century.  To this group, one must add a wealthy group of Maltese merchants who chose to settle in Tunisia following the departure of the Knights of St John from Malta.

Although it is difficult to imagine today as there are only about 30 Maltese in Tunisia, not counting those of Maltese origin, the Maltese population in Tunisia in 1881 outnumbered the French by 7000 to 700.  Most Maltese were naturalised in 1921 and became French citizens by virtue of being born in Tunis; others either left to resettle elsewhere or became Tunisian after independence.  The equivalent of the Who’s Who of Tunis in 1912 records several success stories of Maltese businessmen in Tunisia, some of whom also served on the Tunis Town Council example Alphonse Busuttil, former editor of the “Malta News and Independent” and President of the British Chamber of Commerce in Tunis, G. Fenech, Vice Consul of Austria - Hungary, who served as Counsellor at Tunis City Hall.

It is in tribute to the memory of these Maltese pioneers and to the close friendship that has always existed between our two Peoples that I would like to share a few ideas with you, Mr Mayor, concerning Malta in Tunisia.

Firstly Malta would like to record and revive the memory of those who lived and died here, either in the service of the country or as matter of course.  The Embassy of Malta would like to be able to honour their memory through an annual ceremony and to assist in the upkeep of the places of their final resting place.  Special tribute need be given to all Maltese or persons of Maltese origin who have distinguished themselves in Tunisia.  They are a source of pride and inspiration for our nation.

It would be appropriate if, as proof of my country’s multilevel long term engagement with Tunisia and as a tangible measure of the excellent level of our relations, that a venue be provided to be turned into a permanent “space” for manifestations of “things Maltese”.  Identifying venues with historical significance of Malta’s presence in Tunis, such as some parts of the Rue des Maltais and the Bab el khadra neighbourhood, generally could provide an additional attraction to Maltese tourists visiting Tunisia.

Of interest is Malta’s past and living heritage to Tunisia: its traditions, customs, music and literature.  In this connection, Malta is grateful to you Mr Mayor for placing at our disposal the prestigious Kherridine Palace in Tunis to organise a Malta month in 2007.  This event will launch a series of activities which Malta would like to plan for next year to commemorate forty years since the formal establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries.

Mr Mayor

Malta’s reality today is very similar to Tunisia’s.  It is a European and Mediterranean reality in a globalised world where we are all faced with similar problems of volatile oil prices, fierce competition, trade liberalization, unemployment and security concerns.  We share common experiences – we are both actively pursuing policies to enhance regional peace and stability, we are both striving to promote the aspirations of the Peoples of the Mediterranean in international fora, we are both working to secure prosperity and a better future for our Peoples.

Let us work together to achieve great things for our Peoples.

Thank you.