Foreign Minister Michael Frendo hosted Prince Henrik, the Prince Consort of Denmark and President of Europa Nostra and the delegates to the Europa Nostra congress in Malta at Palazzo Parisio.

The event was part of a cultural programme which the NGO Din l-Art Helwa organised for participants attending Europa Nostra’s Annual Congress 2006, which is being held in Malta this week. Europa Nostra is the pan-European federation of NGOs active in the field of cultural heritage.

In his welcome address, Minister Frendo said that: “One of the strategic objectives of Malta’s foreign policy is to promote Maltese culture and identity overseas and internationally.” He explained that in a globalised world, it was even more necessary to support organisations like Europa Nostra and Din l-Art Helwa which assert the richness and diversity of cultures. Minister Frendo stated that: “We are all custodians of our patrimony for future generations because these are treasures which belong to all.”

In his speech, Minister Frendo paid particular homage to the work of Din l-Art Helwa’s founding president Judge Caruana Curran and commended Judge Caruana Curran who, for over 40 years, has upheld the cause of cultural heritage in Malta arousing the awareness of the public and of the government to the importance of Malta’s extraordinary heritage.

Minister Frendo presented His Royal Highness, Prince Henrik, with a publication by Joe Schiro and Sven Sorensen that gives an account of Hans Christian Andersen’s visit to Malta in March 1841, when the Danish author reached the island on board the French steamer Leonidas.