From the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, where I accompanied Prime Minister Robert Abela on a state visit, I called Miriana Conte in Switzerland and on behalf of the people of Malta, and the government, I thanked her for the outstanding performance the day before. There was a chorus of approval on social media platforms that the young Malta's singer outdid herself. Malta got positive wall-to-wall coverage in the media outlets that matter.  

Against all odds due to the heavy controversy regarding the song's name, Miriana persevered. 

As a government, we supported Miriana along the way, and we made certain that she would truly shine. On Thursday, last week, Miriana made it to the finals, and that for Malta was already a significant achievement. It has been a while since we did so - although all previous Maltese representatives at the Eurovision deserved to make it to the final night. Miriana stepped on stage on Saturday night, and she shined. 

We did not win the Eurovision, neither did we place with the top ten songs, but Malta's song made headlines across the world, and it made headlines for the right reasons. Diva not down, said many after the Saturday performance and indeed she's not - never will, for Miriana Conte has a bright future ahead of her and I am sure that along the way she will continue to make Malta proud.

But beyond Eurovision, Miriana's perseverance made me think. Never in the history of Malta's Eurovision Song Contest experience did a song, and singer, generate such an extensive controversy. Never did we have the EBU threatening to censor Malta's song. Never did we have such a vocal discussion, often heated, on social media platforms - locally and abroad.

Miriana was resolute that she would see her song through - with changes, yes, but her goal was to represent Malta in Zurich, and she did. And I concluded that in many ways Miriana Conte is an excellent example of the Maltese character: determined; resolute and with the fierce mentality that there is no challenge big enough that we as a nation cannot overcome.

 Perseverance

It was perseverance that, along the years, saw Malta punch above its weight. It was perseverance that saw Malta and the Maltese emerge stronger from the ravages of the Second World War to eventually take the helm of the country in their own hands and huge political achievements followed: Independence; Malta as a Republic; Freedom Day and Malta's EU membership. And since then, despite the many bumpy rides along the way Malta flourished.

Only recently have we faced a health pandemic of unprecedented gravity. Many thought that Malta would collapse, economy and all. Predictions, by experts, if you will, were made of unprecedented unemployment. It was a crisis of huge proportions never experienced before. People were being hospitalized at an alarming rate, and some of them lost their lives - old and young. But the Maltese stood up to be counted. We were determined to see this crisis through and to rise again - and we did. Malta has since been hailed as one of the countries that emerged from the pandemic successfully and forcefully.

As if a pandemic was not enough, the drumbeats of war were heard in Eastern Europe as Russia invaded Ukraine. It has been an all-out war since, causing global inflation and economic uncertainty. Locally, predictions were once again made that this would have a catastrophic impact on our economy, small and vulnerable to the happenings in Europe and beyond. But we never succumbed, and once again, the people of Malta, led by a strong Labour government, persevered, and today we have the fastest growing economic growth within the Eurozone.

This is what Malta is all about - no natural resources but a nation that is resilient, strong, and determined to succeed.

 Malta cares

The Prime Minister's state visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, of which I was part of, included high-level meetings with King Abdallah II and Prime Minister Jafar Hassan

Jordan, a small country, and semi-arid, which does not have the rich natural resources of some of its neighbours, is a pivotal country in terms of political stability in a region that has had deep conflicts for decades. It plays a crucial role in the Israeli Palestinian conflict and has often acted as a mediator in this decades old bloody conflict. 

It is a politically stable monarchy that withstood the 2010 Arab Spring that shook the Arab world.

Since 1948, Jordan has accepted millions of refugees from neighbouring countries in conflict - especially from Palestine and Syria.

In Jordan, Prime Minister Robert Abela visited the Al Za'atari refugee camp, which is operated by the United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR. It is the world's largest refugee camp providing protection to refugees who have fled violence in Syria. 

During this visit, the Prime Minister announced that the Maltese Government would be assisting the operations of this refugee camp, and thereby its residents, through a financial donation. 

Malta has also recently assisted the children of Gaza by bringing over to Malta for medical care. Malta truly cares. 

 Strengthening relations

During our state visit, we signed several new agreements that will lead to greater cooperation and joint efforts across several different sectors, including tourism, energy, education, and culture.

This visit marks an important moment in the longstanding friendship between Malta and Jordan. Our countries share a strong history of cooperation.

Amongst the agreements that were signed, we also signed an agreement promoting cooperation in the areas of archiving and the Maltese language.

We never miss an opportunity to promote our beautiful and unique language. 

I look forward to further cooperation, especially in the arts and cultural sector between Malta and Jordan.

Showcasing government

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of attending Expo Village 2025, the Public Service Expo at the MFCC, Ta' Qali. Each year, this Expo is attracting more people and becoming stronger. Its core mission remains unchanged: to showcase government services and foster interaction between public service officers and the community they serve.

During my visit, I had the opportunity to meet many dedicated public sector employees at their respective stands including those within the National Patrimony, Arts and Culture. These employees are the backbone of our ministry. I owe our extraordinary success within these sectors to them - and I am ever so grateful.

I am of course aware of the huge sacrifices made and the excellent results attained by Malta's public sector employees, but many are not. Admittedly life is too busy for our families to think about the massive workload that goes behind the scenes within the public sector, and that is only understandable. The Expo serves as an important occasion to showcase the government.

Through this excellent initiative people understand, and better value, the services that are delivered to them by our men and women within the public sector, and through the Expo they can put faces to the services that we all benefit from.

For the first time, the Expo Village will host two free concerts. The first, Kant u Noti, takes place tomorrow, Saturday at 7:30pm, and will feature The Palace String Orchestra. The second, on Sunday at 5:30pm, will see a performance by the popular band The Travellers. I encourage you to visit and make the most of this amazing event. Admission to the Expo Village is completely free of charge.