No evening which starts off with two gifted musicians - a tenor and a pianist - can possibly be anything but enjoyable especially if the programme consists of piano pieces such as Liszt's Petrarch Sonnet 104, De Falla's Ritual Fire Dance and a repertoire of Italian ariettas, the Aria of the Prince from Dvorak's Rusalka, another from Lehar but especially because I am particularly fond of good old fashioned Italian canzonetti which are still loved to this day and which remind me of my mother:  Mattinata, Parla mi d'amore Mariù and Non ti scordar di me .

The pianist Daniel Buranovsky is also an excellent accompanist  and together with tenor Miroslav Dvorskŷ, whose  twin, too, is an opera singer, turned it into a very special evening in the ballroom of the Casino Maltese.

We didn't really want the concert to come to an end but it was time to celebrate next door.  The National Day of The Slovak Republic seems to be very popular and both the ballroom and the reception hall were full of guests.

Slovakia was well represented because apart from Mr and Mrs Godwin E. Bencini - he is the Hon. Consul General of the Slovak Republic  and the ambassador of Slovakia and Mrs Jan Sloth also present was the Slovak Finance Minister Peter Kazimir who addressed guests.

He started off by thanking Madame President, saying this was the eleventh year that this celebration was taking place. He expressed his special gratitude to Mr Bencini, without whose tireless efforts Slovak culture would not have such a prominent place in Malta.

This was his third time in Malta over the past 18 months and he said he was impressed by what he had seen. He referred to the history and heritage of the island as well as the 'modern' side of it. He described as "breath-taking" where the informal meetings of Finance ministers during Malta's Presidency took place. A lover of history his enthusiasm for St John's Co-Cathedral is obvious and Mr Kazimir described it as "one of the most beautiful sacred buildings" he has visited during his travels.

Like our President, later on in her speech, the Slovak Minister of Finance said that today's world poses a great challenge for the E.U. - both political and economic. On a positive note he commented that they need to be fixed 'and that is exactly what we're trying to do. The pace, however, is not as speedy as I would like it to be - but that's the price we all pay for Europe's complex decision-making."

Mr Kazimir disagrees with those who believe that heterogeneity is a weakness which is preventing countries to prosper. On the contrary he believes that variety is its strength - complicated as it is. Europe is at peace... there is much to be proud of and be positive about. Although there are challenges - climate change, migration, digitalisation, ageing population - the E.U.'s finance ministers are part of the task force whose job it is to strengthen the E.U. and eurozone economies, making them more resilient and robust "for both shiny and rainy days." He described himself as a pragmatic optimist who believes in the European project. "Europe is our home and we will take care of it, together," he concluded but not before delivering a few words in Slovak to those members of the Slovak community who were present that evening.

The President was present and in her speech she said that the strong relations between our countries and our peoples which were first established in 1993 have been strengthened through a history of concurrent European Union accession. "They are further developed by our continuing membership in the Schengen agreement and Euro Zone and our mutual commitment to the ongoing success of our European Union. Let us continue working together to promote the spirit of solidarity which is at the heart of our Union," she said.

Her Excellency encouraged both countries to be champions of universal human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the pursuit of positive peace and meaningful processes of democratic participation.Throughout the Maltese Presidency of the Council, Malta endeavoured to highlight a strong message of unity, while also prioritizing issues related to migration and economic development. "I believe that, in order to achieve such endeavours, we must remain firm in our mutual commitment to full respect for human dignity,"  Madame President commented.

She encouraged both countries to work together to strengthen more stable bilateral trade between them and also recommended the building upon the already growing exchanges in tourists and visitors. Her Excellency also encouraged the continuation and nurturing of business relationships between the two countries.  She noted that Malta has always considered Slovakia a reliable friend in the E.U and encouraged the fostering of the essential processes of peace and stability with other partners in the Eastern European region.

Mrs Coleiro Preca then commented on the U.N's Agenda 2030 and its seventeen Sustainable Development Goals which are more important now than ever, "as a roadmap for our nations, in the face of increasing global uncertainty... Let us take practical actions, in all the ways we can, to make this vision a reality, leading to practical benefits in the lives of our communities and societies."

After the reception we all went home a little happier as Mr and Mrs Bencini manage to create a most welcoming ambience - and goodness, that concert was so very enjoyable. Such stars!

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