MARK MICALLEF

The Italian government yesterday donated the first batch of 2,000 trees of the 8,000 it has pledged for the Torri L-Ahmar afforestation project.

The press conference announcing the plant-ing of the first batch was held yesterday, at Italy’s request, to coincide with the feast of La Befana, the Italian equivalent of the Christmas Father.

Environment and Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino thanked the Italian Ambassador Alvise Memmo, for the support Italy has always given Malta. Apart from the donation of the trees, he said, the technical assistance the Italian government had given with the project had proved to be invaluable.

In fact, a number of trees had been incubated and grown in Italy and then flown to Malta – a process which will see the reintroduction of varieties which were indigenous to Malta but eventually became extinct.

Over 50,000 trees are scheduled to be planted in the area, Minister Pullicino explained. He said that the government was investing a lot of goodwill in this and similar projects and appealed with people to cooperate. Only a week earlier, he said, some 200 saplings were found uprooted a few metres down from the Red Tower. None of them had been stolen, he pointed out – they had just simply been uprooted. “A pure case of vandalism,” he said.

The Italian Ambassador continued Mr Pullicino’s argument, complaining that although people are supposed to be becoming more civilised, more of these senseless acts are being reported. “The same happens in Italy – I cannot but echo your concern,” he added.

The support given by the Italian government is another example of the great relationship the two countries have, he said, adding that now that Malta is member of the EU, the common ground between the two has grown, especially with regard to the lobby of the Mediterranean reality within the EU.