OPR- Tuesday, 11th September, 2007

Mr President,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I thank you for the warm welcome and hospitality with which I have been received in your country.  It is a true pleasure for me to be visiting Algeria, a country with which we are connected through ties of friendship and cooperation.  This is a significant occasion in the history of our bilateral relations as it is the first ever visit to Algeria by a Head of State of Malta. 

Your Excellency,

Malta has been a Mediterranean crossroads since antiquity, forming a bridge between the North and the South in the Mediterranean region.  Algeria has also virtually always been seen as a connecting point between East and West.  The strategic location of both countries has been a major influence on their diverse historical and cultural experiences.

Both countries have suffered lengthy periods of rule by foreign powers.  In more recent generations Algeria has experienced further conflict.  Mr President, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge your dedicated work towards fostering a climate of mutual respect and trust among the People of Algeria and for the manner in which you have used your Office to promote peace and reconciliation in your country.

Your Excellency,

This Official Visit gives us a unique opportunity to exchange views on challenges which both our countries face in a rapidly changing world.  I truly believe that the friendly relations between Malta and Algeria have the potential to grow closer in the political, as well as economic and cultural fields.  Malta and Algeria can share more of their experience and knowledge with each other, and thus strengthen both of our countries’ ability to face the challenges of a modern, globalised world.

I am pleased to learn that the Maltese-Algerian Joint Commission will be revived shortly, while negotiations on a number of bilateral agreements, in the areas of double taxation and judicial cooperation, are scheduled to commence in the near future.  Such developments already provide an incentive for further co-operation.

Your Excellency,

Malta became a member of the European Union in May 2004 and is now also an active participant in the EU’s Neighbourhood Policy setting out the objectives of avoiding the emergence of new dividing lines between the enlarged EU and our neighbours, and of strengthening the prosperity, stability and security of the region.  Our continued commitment to, and understanding of, the Mediterranean region, enables us to be a voice within the European Union sensitive to the realities of our North African neighbours and the Arab world.  Malta maintains its vocational pursuit of Mediterranean interests, ensuring that they form an integral part of the EU agenda.

Algeria is an important partner for the European Union.  The Association Agreement between the EU and Algeria is thus an instrument also for our bilateral relations.  We wish to continue developing the political dialogue between the EU and Algeria and to deepen the partnership between the two – as well as between the EU and the other Mediterranean littoral States. We feel that Algeria can play an important role in promoting political and economic stability in the region.

Your Excellency,

Your country is a valuable partner in the Mediterranean dimension, which allows for considerable cooperation to improve the state of the Mediterranean region.  Algeria is actively involved in the Euro-Mediterranean fora and initiatives through its membership of the Euro-Mediterranean Barcelona Process, the Mediterranean Forum, the Western Mediterranean Dialogue (Five-Plus-Five) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean.  In this regard allow me to express my country’s appreciation for the fact that Algeria, together with the Arab group, selected Malta to host the Executive Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean.

As you are aware Mr President, Malta has proposed an enhanced political dialogue between the European Union and the League of Arab States.  I am convinced that it is only through a more visible, structured and engaged dialogue that we will learn from one another, advancing further ongoing cooperation and developing a better understanding of issues of common interest.

Your Excellency,

Our region is once more going through a trying time.  The ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territories, increased tensions and the amplification of the voices of extremism are among the main challenges which all of us need to address with continued vigour.

As it has done consistently for decades, Malta remains engaged and committed to working with its partners and neighbours towards a just and lasting resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian question.  I sincerely augur that the coming months will see a renewed effort from all parties, reinforced by the Arab Peace Initiative, to provide a political perspective which will pave the way towards the peace, stability and prosperity the Peoples of our region have long aspired to.

Mr President,

Malta’s position at the heart of the Mediterranean Sea renders it especially sensitive and vulnerable to the pressures resulting from the phenomenon of irregular immigration.  We are gravely concerned about the plight of those individuals who undertake the perilous journey across the Mediterranean Sea in an attempt to reach European shores, and the tragic loss of lives that results from time to time.

My country retains a strong and long standing commitment to help those who are in need of protection, also in keeping with its millennial tradition of hospitality.  Nevertheless, the situation also requires a vigorous pursuit of clamping down on international criminal activity in human trafficking.  It is clear that this complex issue cannot be solved by means of purely national, intra-state defensive mechanisms.  Malta continues to call for effective action to combat illegal immigration in a holistic and thorough manner and would like to strengthen dialogue to foster cooperation with its Southern Mediterranean partners on this issue. 

Your Excellency,

I would like to pay tribute to an Algerian author, playwright, poet and story-teller, Mohammed Dib, whose life and work contributed significantly to bringing political awakening to Algeria, and the Algerian struggle for independence to the world’s attention – a testimony not only of his attachment to Algeria, but also of his commitment to the world at large.  He was an advocate of political equality and believed that “the things that make us different always remain secondary.”  I too am convinced that our shared humanity overcomes even the most extreme differences. 

Mr President,

I am pleased that I am accompanied by a delegation of business people during this Official Visit.  Their presence here confirms the promising potential for expanding the economic relations between Algeria and Malta. 

This Official Visit augurs to be the catalyst for a renewed intensive engagement between our two countries.  I trust that this visit will serve to further strengthen ties and relations between our countries.  I am convinced that cooperation and understanding are the best guarantees of a common future of stability and prosperity. 

Excellency,

On behalf of the People of Malta I wish you many more years of leadership of The People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, I augur long lasting friendship between our two Peoples and also progress and prosperity to our two Nations.