On the occasion of Italy Day at the Malta International Trade Fair, Justice and Home Affairs Minister Minister Tonio Borg praised the contribution by Italy to help in Malta’s economic development.

This, said Dr Borg, contributed towards Malta’s EU membership preparations and also allowed the country to integrate into the Schengen area agreement which will be implemented locally in the near future. This, he continued, reflected the excellent relations between the law enforcement authorities of Italy and Malta.

He also pointed out that the EUR4 million in financial assistance under the Italian Financial Protocol led to the new Mater Dei Hospital being kitted out with the latest state-of-the-art medical equipment.

Dr Borg explained that the Italian government was helping Malta to enter the Schengen system by donating the software relevant to the Sirene Unit which will ensure that information about border control is shared between EU members which are in the Schengen system.

Moreover, Italy will provide the training for Maltese officers who will staff the Malta branch of the Sirene Unit. This, said Dr Borg, showed that Italy has continued to help Malta even after EU membership.