This morning, the Speaker of the House of Representatives Anġlu Farrugia attended and addressed participants at the 3rd Summit of Speakers hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco in the port city of Tangier.

This year’s Summit of Speakers focused on the importance of sustained Mediterranean dialogue, and the ambition to build better inter-cultural anchorage that would generate shared development in terms of peace and security. Furthermore, it was also argued that sustainable development needs to take into consideration climate change and the protection of the environment.

Addressing those present, Speaker Anġlu Farrugia highlighted the importance of revitalising the common Euro-Mediterranean project, and spoke on Malta’s pivotal role in the region. Mentioning just a few examples,  Speaker  Farrugia recalled Malta’s Mediterranean input during the 1975 CSCE Conference, the proactive environmental contribution at a UN level in 1988, and the historic meeting held between US President Bush and Soviet President Gorbachev in 1989.

Recognising that diplomatic interaction is no longer strictly confined to the Foreign Ministry and career diplomats’ remits, Speaker Farrugia underlined the importance of promoting greater inter-parliamentary cooperation at both the bilateral and multilateral level. Parliamentary cooperation acts as an important initiative with which to bridge political differences whilst specifically targeting an issue of common concern and possible conflict. To this end, Speaker Farrugia recalled the proposal to address water depletion in the Gaza area submitted to the Israeli Knesset and Palestinian Legislative Council during a parliamentary visit last March.

Concluding, Speaker Farrugia called for a better coordinated and more inclusive approach, one that would help transform the region from a boiling cauldron of conflict to a kaleidoscopic sea of cultures and vibrant social interactions.

The Maltese delegation attending the 12th Plenary Session and side Committee meetings is composed of Michael Falzon, Silvio Parnis and George Pullicino.