Welcome to the Official page of the Presidency of the Portuguese Republic

Mr. President,
Mrs. Mary Fenech-Adami
Authorities,
Dear guests,

Your Excellency, we have great pleasure in welcoming you and your wife as well as the party accompanying you on this first official visit by a Maltese Head of State to Portugal. I hope that this visit will contribute to consolidate the excellent relations between our two countries.

In welcoming you Portugal is receiving a convinced Europeanist to whom is owed much of the success of Malta’s integration into the European Union. At a time when we were both serving as Prime Ministers I myself was able to witness your remarkable actions towards that objective.

Mr. President,

The ties between Portugal and Malta are interlaced with the History of Europe. At different times three Portuguese men conducted the high destinies of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Although Grand Master Luis de Vasconcelos is less well-known, having served for a relatively short period of time, Grand Masters António Manoel de Vilhena and Manuel Pinto da Fonseca were two of the foremost rulers of Malta and are remembered for a legacy that is to this day part of the cultural heritage and daily life of the Maltese people.

Portugal again played a part in the history of Malta at the time of the heroic popular insurrection of 1798 when for fifteen months ships of the Portuguese armada under Vice-Admiral Marquis de Nisa blockaded the access of the powerful French naval forces to Malta, also aiding the insurgents on the terrain. Gratitude for this gesture is well documented in a letter from the National Congress of Malta which on the departure of the Marquis of Nisa in 1799 praised the support of the Portuguese forces which was instrumental in defending the interests and the will of the people of Malta. We were deeply touched by your gesture, in September, of unveiling a plaque in memory of Admiral Marquis de Nisa on the occasion of the commemorations of the tercentenary of the arrival of the Portuguese fleet in Malta.

Excellency,

Today we are again partners within the framework of this magnificent project of reconciliation, progress and development that is the European Union. The past has left us with an affinity that we must reaffirm in the present, in the name of the future we wish for our relationship.

Malta today is a member of the euro zone, a dynamic economy, with remarkable growth rates, a destination for profitable investment, a valuable political, economic and entrepreneurial platform in a region of great geostrategic importance. Portugal is involved in a profound adjustment of its model of development based on the qualification of its citizens, on technological innovation and sustainable development. We also have, thanks to the wealth of our historic legacy, a remarkable capital of relationships and knowledge on the five continents, in particular in the official-speaking Portuguese countries, particularly attractive for countries whose businessmen wish to internationalise their activities.

We must therefore encourage cooperation between our economic agents, particularly in areas of mutual interest such as renewable energies, information technology, infrastructures building or pharmaceutical production. I hope that the seminar that began today with the participation of businessmen from both our countries will allow for the identification of opportunities and the establishment of partnerships between our companies.

Mutual knowledge between people is essential to develop a closer and more solidary relationship between countries. In that sense, increasing the tourist flow between our two countries combines economic advantages with greater knowledge about our respective cultural realities.

I have followed the cultural initiatives carried out by the Portuguese Embassy in Malta and would like to express my thanks for the warm applause they have received from you and all Maltese society. This response is an unmistakeable sign of the potential of the cultural dimension of our relationship.

Mr. President,

The difficult days we have been living through constitute, for bad reasons, it is true, the best response to all those who might question whether we need a better and greater Europe.

Portugal and Malta share the belief in a strong cohesive Europe to act as a real added value in the face of the challenges of our time. The Treaty of Lisbon, ratified by both our countries, is an essential tool for the pursuit of that objective. Given its obvious need, we must ensure that it comes into force as quickly as possible.

Mr. President,

Your official visit to Portugal will no doubt constitute an important landmark in our relationship, not only for its historic relevance as the first visit by a Maltese Head of State but also for its role in leading us through new forms of closer cooperation. I ask you all to raise your glasses in a toast to the health and prosperity of President Edward Fenech-Adami and Mrs. Fenech-Adami and the friendly people of Malta, to the friendship between our two countries and to the future of our relations.

Thank you.