Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami, in Athens to sign the EU accession treaty today, yesterday evening attended a working dinner of the European People's Party where he was congratulated on his electoral victory and the positive outcome of last month's referendum.
Dr Fenech Adami will this morning participate in a breakfast meeting with the President of the European Convention Giscard d'Estaing.
Quite a number of Maltese people have decided to travel to Athens to witness the historic moment. At least two planes have been chartered for the occasion.
The signing of the treaty will take place this afternoon at the Stoa of Attalos, situated in the Ancient Agora of Athens, at the foot of the Acropolis.
European Commission President Romano Prodi along with commissioners for enlargement Günter Verheugen, for regional policy Michel Barnier, justice and home affairs Antonio Vitorino and employment and social affairs Anna Diamantopoulou are here to participate in the work of the European Council.
They will also ''participate'' within the context of their capacity in the events associated with the signature of the treaty.
Greek Prime Minister Constantinos Simitis, whose country currently holds the EU rotating presidency, yesterday recalled that at the Copenhagen European Council in December the EU leaders had successfully completed the accession negotiations with the 10 candidate countries.
"We set the goal to sign the Accession Treaty in Athens, on 16 April, 2003. The Greek Presidency has completed in time the drafting of the Accession Treaty, in accordance with the relevant procedures by the institutions of the Union.
"I, therefore, have the honour and the pleasure to welcome you in Athens for the historical event of the ceremony of the signature of the Accession Treaty. The enlarged Union guarantees a future of peace, stability and prosperity for its members and neighbours.
"I seize the opportunity of our meeting in Athens, to hold a discussion on issues pertaining to the Convention, which was initially planned for the spring European Council," Mr Simitis said.
The treaty of accession is the result of accession negotiations between the 15 EU member states and 10 accession countries. It defines the accession conditions of the 10 future member states and the consequent adaptations and adjustments of the founding Treaties of the Union.
The membership of the EU will increase from the current 15 to 25 on May 1, 2004, when Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia are due to become members.
From the moment of signing, the 10 future members will gain observer status in the European Union, which gives them the right of attending Council meetings and having MEP observers in the European Parliament until the time of accession.