Welcome Speech by H.E. Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, President of Malta at the Official Opening of Arraiolos Malta 2017
It is a pleasure, and an honour, for Malta to host the 13th Meeting of the Arraiolos Group. I am also very pleased, to welcome, the largest Arraiolos gathering of non-executive Presidents of the European Union, which includes, for the very first time, three female European Heads of State.
Your Excellencies,
Dear colleagues,
Hon. Maltese Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion, Mr Carmelo Abela
Distinguished guests,
Dear friends,
At the beginning of this meeting, allow me to welcome, on behalf of the people of Malta, my colleagues, Their Excellencies The Presidents, and their delegations, to the Maltese Islands.
Malta’s geostrategic position, in the middle of the Mediterranean, means, that we have always been at the crossroads of civilisations. This reality made my country, a melting pot of cultures.
For this reason, the importance of dialogue, and the building of mutual peace have always been values of essential importance, both to our way of life and to our vision, for the future of our European Union, our region, our world.
I am confident, that this meeting, will give us the opportunity to deepen this sense of dialogue, and the discovery of shared opportunities for peace, while, at the same time, provide a focus on issues of pressing importance to our regions and across our Union.
This year also happens to mark, the 60th Anniversary of the signing of the important Treaties of Rome, which laid the foundations for the European Union, as we know it today.
At a time, when our Union is prioritising its attention, on the promotion of a European Pillar of Social Rights, I believe that it is essential for us, to discuss, the social dimension of our Union.
I believe that it is also our responsibility, as Heads of State, to ensure, that questions of social justice, of socio-economic inclusion, and of democratic participation, are kept high on the agenda of our respective countries, and across our family of nations.
Furthermore, this year’s Arraiolos Meeting will also be, as our previous meetings were, an opportunity for us, to increase the visibility, of the particular challenges and opportunities within our regions, with a special emphasis on the situation being lived in the Euro-Mediterranean area.
Excellencies,
Dear colleagues,
I augur that our deliberations, throughout the Arraiolos Meeting, shall be guided by our universal values of positive peace and holistic wellbeing, for the benefit of our communities, our societies, and our European family of nations.
The theme for this year’s meeting, “Crossing Borders”, is an invitation for all of us, to reflect on how Europe can rediscover its core social values, reclaim its social model, and achieve higher levels of solidarity and inclusion.
During our deliberations, I am confident, that social justice will feature prominently, as a basic condition for European prosperity and Euro-Mediterranean security.
Let us ensure, that our deliberations will emphasise, the need for Europe to be, once again, a global leader, on issues that affect the quality of life of all of our peoples.
The decision to focus on such a complex and intriguing theme will, I am sure, help us to create an important dialogue, bridging our diverse opinions, while also creating opportunities for connection and mutual enrichment.
I sincerely believe that creating such opportunities for dialogue, is especially necessary, in particular, at this important juncture in the history of our world. We must admit, that unfortunately, many of our nations, are currently facing social and political tensions, and uncertainties.
In response to these tensions and uncertainties, it is my firmly held belief, that we cannot only drive for economic growth, without a parallel investment in strategies for social justice.
We must not be afraid to be one human family.
We must be united together, to embrace our social, as well as our economic realities.
We cannot be afraid to tackle pressing questions of poverty, social exclusion, and economic precarity, which have a direct impact on the communities and societies of our nations.
Let us therefore use this forum, to promote closer collaborations, across the borders of our nations, to face some of the major challenges of the twenty-first century, together.
Many of the important issues we face today are global in their reach. These include questions of economic globalisation; processes of migration; social uncertainties; the threat of transnational crime; and the promotion of global peace and security.
Such challenges can only be addressed with a united approach. Meeting these challenges requires that we all work together, to transcend our borders, as one human family.
As an immediate first step, I believe that the harmful effects of climate change, which are being felt across the world, need to be effectively addressed, with a holistic and united approach.
I am pleased to note that, even in yesterday’s State of the Union speech, His Excellency Jean-Claude Juncker, European Commission President, highlighted the critical issue of climate change, when he said, and I quote: “Europe will ensure to make our planet great again. Our Planet is the shared heritage of all of humanity.” End quote.
For this reason, we must act now, to do more, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across our nations.
We must make the necessary progress towards a low-carbon energy future, for all.
We must learn from the good practices of one another, and share our knowledge, in pursuit of one common goal, for a better world.
We must work together to find innovative ways for our nations to produce and to use clean and renewable energy.
For this reason, also, our holistic endeavours and collaborations are important, to implement the mandate of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and the United Nations’ Agenda 2030, with its seventeen Sustainable Development Goals.
We all know what must be done.
These Sustainable Development Goals offer us a global strategy, which promotes shared prosperity for the building of peace, and a global social solidarity approach.
It is so important for us, to focus our attention, on the values which promote a universal culture of respect, to ensure that the intrinsic dignity of each and every individual is celebrated.
I am confident that our discussions shall be effectively guided, along these lines, by the expert contributions of our two academic facilitators.
Today’s session will be introduced by Professor Carmelo Borg, who shall focus on the idea of reclaiming Europe’s social mandate, and tomorrow’s session will be facilitated by Professor Stephen Calleya, who shall tackle the management of security challenges in the Euro-Mediterranean region.
These two learned professors will present to us, some facts, and will, help us, to stimulate our thoughts and our discussion.
It is my hope that, throughout this meeting, we shall become more sensitive and more aware of the particular nature of our respective situations.
Moreover, I hope that, by sitting around the same table and engaging in frank discussions, we shall find new ways of working together to meet our shared challenges and maximise our shared opportunities.
I am convinced that, each and every one of us, has the potential to spread a strong message of solidarity, of social justice, and of peace, within our nations and across Europe.
On concluding, let me once again quote yesterday’s State of the Union address, delivered by the President of the European Commission, who said, and I quote;
“Now is the time to build a more united, stronger and more democratic Europe for 2025.” End quote.
In this spirit, I urge us all to endeavour, to ensure that no citizens or residents in our countries are left behind.
We must continue building stronger processes of democratic participation within our societies so that the citizens of Europe will feel a sense of ownership over our/their European Union.
Finally, let us ensure that the outcomes of our deliberations will have a positive effect in the lives of all our peoples, across our communities, and for the ultimate benefit of our entire European family of nations.