On the final engagement of the State Visit to Ireland, President George Vella and Mrs Miriam Vella, together with President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins and Mrs Sabina Higgins, met with representatives of the Maltese community in Ireland. “Wherever I visit, I feel that one of the most significant moments of the visit is meeting Maltese communities abroad,” said the President.
President Vella underlined the importance he attaches to people-to-people relations. “Aside from formalities, agreements and official meetings, you – your families, entrepreneurs, professionals in different fields, students – hold the key to durable bilateral relations that stand the test of time,” he stated. Addressing the Maltese living in Ireland, President Vella commended them for their contribution to further strengthening the lasting friendship between the two countries.
President Vella addressed the Maltese community in Maltese and encouraged them to do their best not to forget the Maltese language. “I know that it is difficult to practice it every day here, but continue to cherish it and use it as much as you can, especially those of you who may be raising children and have built a family here,” said the President, while reminding the Maltese community that each and every one of them is an ambassador of our country in Ireland.
This State Visit to Ireland, the President said, “is another landmark that consolidated the very strong friendship that lies at the heart of the close relations that exist between the two countries.”
President Higgins thanked the around 200 Maltese living in Ireland for their important contribution to the country’s society, economy and culture through their talents, hard work and their rich experience.
In Ireland, the President of Malta was accompanied by Minister for Inclusion, Voluntary Organisations and Consumer Rights Julia Farrugia Portelli.
Photos (DOI/OPR)
