ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY MR ANTON TABONE, ACTING PRESIDENT OF MALTA ON THE OCCASION OF THE NATIONAL DAY OF THE KINGDOM OF BELGIUM AT THE AMBASSADOR'S RESIDENCE IN MADLIENA.  WEDNESDAY 21 JULY 2010.

Thank you Ambassador Delahaut,

Honourable Prime Minister and Mrs Gonzi,

Honurable Ministers and Members of Parliament,

President Emeriti,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am very delighted to be here today to celebrate the National Day of the Kingdom of Belgium which marks the ascension to the throne of King Leopold I in 1831.  I congratulate Ambassador Delahaut and would like to ask him to kindly convey best wishes, on my behalf and on behalf of the Government and People of Malta, to His Majesty King Albert II and the Government of Belgium.  I also extend best wishes to the Belgian Government for a successful and fruitful European Union Presidency.

As we all know, as from 1 July, Belgium holds part of the Trio-Presidency of the Council of the European Union in terms of the Lisbon Treaty.  This is a time when one needs to take into account the changes that were introduced with the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty on 1 December 2009.  It is a source of satisfaction to note the importance that the Belgian Presidency is attaching to the implementation of the EU 2020 strategy which is very much in syntony with Malta's Vision 2015 as a centre of excellence.

This is also a time when the European Union is facing certain challenges requiring tough decisions aimed at strengthening the viability and competitiveness of the Union and safeguarding the standard of living of Europeans, present and future.

The worst economic crisis since the 1930's has made it necessary to take unprecedented measures to address the shrinking European economies, the unsustainable levels of debt, the drop in industrial production and the serious unemployment problem.  The crises in the economies of some Member-States and the causes that gave rise to them must serve as lessons for the future.  The remedy to ensure a lasting cure is strong economic governance. It would be to the Union's peril if it does not learn from past mistakes.

The motto of the Kingdom of Belgium is "L'Union fait la force" or "There is strength in unity".  The principle of solidarity and collective action is a cardinal one and must be observed in all sectors of relations between Member-States.  I believe that Member-States were very conscious of the principle that there is strength in unity when they demonstrated it in practice with Greece during the past weeks.  Although it is one of the smaller member countries, Malta made a meaningful contribution to this process.

At the same time, Malta considers that the principles of solidarity and interdependence apply with the same weight when it comes to other issues such as that of illegal immigration.  In spite of the significant decrease in arrivals this year, Malta is still shouldering responsibility for a number of irregular immigrants, who landed in previous years, which is vastly out of proportion to its size and resources.  Malta wishes to see more solidarity and burden-sharing where illegal immigration is concerned and considers the implementation of this principle a key element in the resolution of this issue.

Ambassador Delahaut,

As regards relations between Malta and Belgium, I can only describe them as excellent.  There is a high level of cooperation at the bilateral and multilateral levels as well as within the context of European Union membership.  A number of bilateral agreements, including one on the avoidance of double taxation and another on reciprocal encouragement and protection of investments are in place.  Another agreement on police cooperation is awaiting ratification.

As regards economic exchanges, incoming tourism from Belgium has decreased slightly owing, perhaps, to the global economic situation.  Trade statistics have remained constant as regards imports but there has been a very marked decline in exports to Belgium in recent years.  One looks forward to finding ways to reversing this trend and to re-establishing former levels of exports to the Belgian market.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I now have the honour of inviting you to raise your glasses and drink to the success of the Belgian Presidency and to the excellent relations between Malta and the Kingdom of Belgium.