Strasbourg will get a “Taste of Malta” next week due to an initiative launched by PN MEPs Simon Busuttil and David Casa.

The 785 MEPs of the European Parliament will learn more about Maltese wine, art, food and culture during the “Malta Week” which is to be held during Strasbourg’s plenary session between Monday and Thursday.

Dr Busuttil said: “Malta week revolves around three events – an exhibition of Malta’s World Heritage sites and an artistic display of local talent. There will also be a reception to mark the official opening of the exhibition which will celebrate Maltese food and drink and a lunchtime concert featuring the successful and talented Etnika.”

The main sponsor of the event is HSBC and CEO Shaun Wallis said: “Promoting Malta at the EP is an endeavour that HSBC Malta is happy to support as Europe’s largest bank. Although one of the smallest countries in the EU, Malta has a tendency of surprising foreigners with its rich cultural traditions and history and heritage,” he said. Mr Wallis said that it was important that Malta tells its story and that this event is followed up with a string of others.

Dr Busuttil said it was not easy to set up this event, which he believes will raise Malta’s profile. He thanked the providers of food and drink – James Caterers, Delicata, Farsons, Magro Brothers and Consolidated Biscuits, as well as other sponsors such as Air Malta and the Malta International Airport. Dr Busuttil said that Malta’s EU Commissioner Joe Borg and permanent representative in Brussels Richard Cachia Caruana would be attending.

In conclusion, Dr Busuttil said that he had been given very good feedback about the EPP-ED conference organised in Malta earlier this summer. “The feedback was tremendous. We proved that we can organise things. This time round, we are taking Malta to the EP rather than bringing the EP to Malta,” he said.

The events include:

Caravaggio Quote… Unquote

The art exhibition entitled Caravaggio: Quote... Unquote shows exciting facets of Maltese contemporary art by way of a connection between the present and the past, through the work of two contemporary artists and that of Caravaggio. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610) was the most important artist to have set foot on and worked in Malta.

Within a charged and dramatic setting, his stay in Malta provided the artist with a relatively long moment of tranquility, a period when the artist reflected both on his life and his work.

The two participant artists, both major exponents of the Maltese contemporary scene, are Anthony Calleja (b.1955) and Gabriel Caruana (b.1929).

The concept presented sees the two artists’ interpretation and understanding of Caravaggio’s work in their own personal way.

Images of Malta

The exhibition Images of Malta is made up of a simple-yet-powerful photographic display of scenes and sights of the Maltese islands.

Each photo captures the spirit of Malta through its culture, views and appearance, visually presenting elements of Malta’s identity.

Etnika

A lunchtime concert will see Etnika performing an acoustic set of ethnic music.

The Etnika project has developed a reputation, both locally and internationally, for presenting innovative music performances using a fusion of ethnic and modern sounds, through exploring musical ideas from around the Mediterranean in an attempt to consolidate traditional Maltese identity within the larger Euro-Mediterranean context.

A Taste of Malta

Food and drink have always held a special place in Maltese culture.

The reception celebrates such as it brings a taste of Malta to the European Parliament.