Malta as a country may not be the largest in size, in actual fact it is the smallest state in the European Union, and one of the smallest in the world. However, Malta proudly boasts one of the highest concentrations of cultural heritage that one can find in such a small area. All this heritage is a natural product of the extensive colonialisation our country has endured, through the ages. From the very first settlers in ancient pre-historic times, up to the very recent 1964, our history has been characterised by the powers of the time who occupied our land, leaving in turn behind priceless jewels of architecture, art, literature, artisanship and more.

The Ministry of Finance is mostly referred to and renowned for its work and contribution to all financial matters. This is obvious, as this is a central role in any government, and it affects the livelihood and wellbeing of every family in the population. However, few people are aware that within the Ministry of Finances remit lies also the Office of the Notarial Archive - an office which in my opinion is the definitive depositary of our collective memory.

This office is situated in St Christopher Street in Valletta, an old building that houses thousands of notarial acts that go back to the fifteenth century. In this collection we find the famous very first known document written in Maltese, the Cantilena by Pietro Caxaro which was written around 1438. This particular document has been the subject of studies and debates by innumerable scholars, a continuous debate about its origin and meaning which is ongoing up until very recently.

I believe these acts and documents if studied well, can lead to different interpretations of our history as we learnt it and know it today. The amount of documents is so vast that a lot hasn't been analysed yet. It will not be amiss to praise and thank the invaluable dedication and hard work of a small group of volunteers from the Notarial Archive Resources Council, who work indefatigably, away from the limelight, restoring these priceless documents, hence rendering a service to our history. Thanks to these people, nowadays we have documents that have been saved from perishing by decay, due to centuries of neglect.

The value and importance of these documents is undeniable. The work that needs to be done to properly take care of these treasures is endless. With this in mind, earlier this year I invited the hardworking Spanish Ambassador for Malta to visit these archives, due to the intimate ties Malta had with Spain before the arrival of the Order of the Knights of St John in 1530. We wanted to tap methods of cooperation in this subject between the two countries. Thanks to this visit, and thanks to the Ambassador's genuine interest in the subject matter, it was agreed that a document would be signed which will, for the first time, open an official collaboration between the Spanish Notarial Archive and ours.

I am proud to say that this document was the subject of one of the memoranda that the King of Spain and the Maltese Government signed during the former's visit to Malta last week. Hence the intention for collaboration is on formal, solid ground. A lot still has to be done, for this priceless heritage to be exposed, as I believe should be, for the enjoyment of the public. If we work together and address the challenges accordingly, and barring any unforeseen obstacles, we should also be in a position to organize an exhibition of some of these documents some time next year. This way, the public will be in a better position to appreciate its heritage and national memory.

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