In his opening speech, H.E. Ray Azzopardi, Malta’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and NATO expressed the sense of honour which Malta is going through by showcasing its cultural and historical heritage. Mr Jason Micallef provided an account of the activities that have been going on and the programme to continue the celebrations throughout the year. A scenic video clip was played showing various Maltese talents. During the activity, Ms Marianne Hoogeven, the representative of the Malta Tourism Authority, presented statistical figures of tourism patterns in Malta, especially tourism trends from Belgium. The evening was concluded with a reception.
From left to right: H.E. Marlene Bonnici, Permanent Representative to the European Union; Ms Marianne Hoogeven, representative of the Malta Tourism Authority; Mr Jason Micallef, Chairman of the Valletta 2018 Foundation; Hon. Carmelo Abela, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion; H.E. Ray Azzopardi, Malta’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and NATO; Mr Leo Brincat, Malta’s Member on the European Court of Auditors; and Judge Eugene Buttigieg, Judge on the European Court of Justice.