Subsidies and other financial incentives are set to be handed out to encourage Maltese currently living abroad to attend a convention which will be hosted in March 2010.

The convention, which will last for three days between the 15 and 18 of March, will place emphasis on Malta’s history, language, culture, folklore and tradition.

This will be the third of such conventions, with the first one being held in 1969 and the second in 2000.

Foreign Affairs Minister Tonio Borg said that the convention aims to unite together youngsters and adolescents whose knowledge of Malta and its language is quite limited.

“This opportunity will enable a number of Maltese living abroad to enhance their knowledge of what Malta is all about. Some of these persons, who might have dual citizenship because one of their parents is Maltese, have no idea what the Maltese language or history is all about. Others might have a Maltese passport because a descendent of theirs is Maltese, but might have never been to Malta.

“Maltese people are spread all over the world. There are around 150,000 living in Australia, which makes up 80 per cent of the amount of Maltese currently living outside our country. In Melbourne alone, there is even a federation of Maltese schools.

“Canada, UK, USA, Luxembourg and Libya are other popular countries where Maltese have settled. I was recently surprised to hear that five families live in Abruzzo, Italy, where a devastating earthquake brought the city to a shattering standstill, which signifies the importance of consuls abroad, who were on hand to provide the families with their desperate needs.

“So far feedback has been extremely positive, and a number of Maltese organisations and associations have already liaised together in selecting their preferences on what will be discussed during the convention,” said Dr Borg.