CPA 'delighted' with Malta's role

Malta's accession to the European Union has been described as a positive step for the Commonwealth by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association's secretary general Denis Marshall.

Before May of last year, the UK was the only country that was both a Commonwealth and an EU member state but last year's enlargement meant that Malta and Cyprus also became both Commonwealth and EU members.

Speaking to journalists yesterday, Mr Marshall explained that the Commonwealth and the EU are very much involved in assisting developing countries and this leads to collaboration between the two organisations.

"The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association collaborates closely with the EU but it is also important that we strengthen such collaboration," he said. Mr Marshall stressed that Malta's EU accession could help the association do that because the two organisations were working towards the same goals.

The CPA is made up of 15,000 parliamentarians from 170 parliaments from 53 Commonwealth members. The association's mission is to promote the advancement of parliamentary democracy by enhancing knowledge and understanding of democratic governance.

Mr Marshall yesterday met four Maltese students who are in London after placing in the first four places in an essay competition organised by the British High Commission in Malta.

Mr Marshall said the association works on a number of programmes, including the promotion of the role of women in Parliament.

The CPA, he went on, was "delighted" with the role Malta plays in it. Maltese parliamentarians were very active and were involved in the association's programmes.

Asked about the role of the association at the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which will be held in Malta in November, Mr Marshall said one of the important aspects of the CPA was the organisation of a workshop for small countries just before the CHOGM.

Mr Marshall commented positively about the level of information the students had about the association. "There is no point in giving you a talk, you should give one," he said jokingly.

Mr Marshall asked the students whether tourism affected the daily lives of Maltese people and all four answered that one got used to it.