OPR- Thursday, 26th October, 2006

Mr President,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is an honour and a pleasure for me to be visiting Croatia on a State Visit.  The first ever visit to Croatia by a Head of State of Malta testifies to the mutual desire to strengthen growing ties of friendship and develop further dialogue between our countries. 

Mr. President,

My visit follows shortly after the 15^th anniversary of Croatia’s independence.  The achievements Croatia has attained in the last fifteen years have been truly historic.  I would like to commend the efforts of Your Excellency in advocating negotiation rather than armed conflict, in speaking out to let the force of arguments prevail over the argument of force.  I would also like to congratulate you and your People for your accomplishments in consolidating democracy and the rule of law within your country and in steadily advancing towards full integration in Europe.  The Government and People of Croatia may rest assured of Malta’s continued support for Croatia’s bid to join the European Union and of our willingness to share our experience from the accession process.  In fact my visit here follows the two visits by the Prime Minister and by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malta. 

Your country has arrived at a turning point in its history.  Malta is glad to notice the great strides Croatia is making in the direction of reaching its objectives and in drawing itself ever closer to the European structures.  I take this opportunity to pay tribute to Croatia for having embarked upon the path of reform, reform that ensures democratic and market oriented development, with courage, determination and a sense of responsibility – for however important the support of Europe and of the international community may be, there can be no doubt that in the first place it was up to Croatia, its People and Government, to actively pursue the reforms and to work towards the common good. 

The European Union has been hailed as a historic and unique opportunity to create a peaceful and prosperous European area.  We are convinced that Croatia’s EU integration aspirations contribute to stability in the region, further consolidating the realisation of the dream of the founding fathers of what is now the European Union to banish conflict for good from the continent. 

Excellency,

Regarding the field of economic relations, it is clear that the potential for business exchanges and cooperation can be exploited further.  I am pleased to be accompanied on this State Visit by a delegation of entrepreneurs and business people.  Their presence confirms the potential for expanding the economic links between Croatia and Malta.  We are two countries next to large markets.  We can therefore both serve as gateways to our neighbouring countries – Malta to North Africa and Southern Europe and Croatia to the south-eastern part of Europe.  I am confident that the contacts established here will be beneficial and will contribute to the deepening of relations between our countries. 

Tourism is certainly among those areas that have great potential to contribute to the development of economic relations between our countries.  Croatia is known in Malta for its outstanding natural beauty; Zagreb as a vibrant city with its numerous cultural and historical monuments, museums and galleries.  Malta is also known for its ancient history and for its architecture.  I trust that Croatia will become an increasingly popular tourist destination for Maltese citizens, as will Malta for Croatians. 

Excellency,

Our vision is that of a Europe in which countries retain their individuality, expressed in their cultural heritage, language and other defining factors.  It is also a Europe of community, of belonging.  The world has become smaller and distances overcome as a result of the great advances in information and communication technologies.  While proud of our identity, acknowledging and embracing our differences, we also strive to develop and standardize those technologies that enable us to communicate better, thus bringing us closer together.  The geographical distance that separates our two countries is also bridged by our diplomatic ties, our ongoing constructive dialogue and our common aspirations of consolidating peace, stability and prosperity in Europe to forge a better future for the Peoples of the continent. 

Mr. President,