On friday, I was in Rome to join other European Union ministers responsible for culture for the opening of an exhibition devoted to Europe's art and cultural heritage. The exhibition, marking the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome that gave birth to the EU, was inaugurated by the President of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano.

The 27 member states loaned works to be exhibited, thus clearly signalling that the EU is not only about the economy, but more profoundly, can define its very DNA, its soul, through its cultural dimension.

It was only fitting that this exhibition was inaugurated in Rome. It was exactly 50 years ago that leaders of six European countries gathered in the great hall of the Horatii and Curiatii in Rome's Capitoline museum to sign the treaty that set up the European Economic Community. The Quirinal palace, where the Rome exhibition has been put up, is only a short distance from that venue.

In 1957, the EEC (as it then was) was limited to France, West Germany, Italy and the Benelux trio. One major achievement of those years that is now taken for granted is peace. Countries that had for centuries been warring against each other have not only been living peacefully but have also built economic growth and prosperity on that basis. Since then the EU has grown into a Union of 27 countries.

When it comes to the cultural dimension, there is unity in diversity. That is one of the EU's major strengths. The President of the European Commission, José Manuel Durão Barroso, has pointed out: "In diversity we see an opportunity of mutual enrichment, just as in an orchestra every musician plays his part, but all contribute towards the same symphony." The different pieces add colour and meaning to the whole, just as in a mosaic the diversity of colours, shapes, sizes and stones while being wonderful in their own right, are that much more magnificent when harmoniously glued together to form a whole.

That is what the Union is about. Malta celebrates the event with the prestige and dignity that it merits. We convene this morning for High Mass at St John's Co-Cathedral - itself an excellent precursor in our own history of different European languages coming together through the Order of St John for one common mission and to share values that carry the European imprint.

When in June 2006, Heritage Malta was invited, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to participate in the Rome exhibition inaugurated last Friday, we decided to send our Fat Lady. This is a clay figurine discovered during excavations at the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum between 1902 and 1910 and represents a woman in a very natural sleeping position. The figurine dates back to the Temples period, around 3600 to 2500 BC. This statuette constitutes one of the iconic emblems of our prehistory.

Ample reference was made in Rome to the fact that Malta has contributed the oldest artefact of all. Our European credentials are deep rooted in our history and being Maltese, I could not help feeling proud at the impact made by our country in sending this powerful message at the Rome exhibition.

Being the most ancient, it was placed first in the Rome event. When President Napolitano began touring the works of art, the commentator made the point that "Il viaggio incomincia da Malta" (the journey starts from Malta). Exhibits were placed in chronological order, and the one placed second, submitted by Greece, represents Kore, dating around 530 BC, that is 2,000 or 3,000 years "younger" than the Maltese contribution to the event.

Louis Godart, counsellor on conservation of artistic heritage to the President of Italy, has observed: "One's attention is immediately drawn to the evidence that has been bequeathed by the Mediterranean civilisations. Malta's Madre Terra (as our exhibit has been appropriately described at the Rome event) represents the divinity that the first agricultural workers originating from the Near East had introduced in the Mediterranean around the eighth millennium before Christ.

The President of Italy, in his address after the inauguration of the exhibition, said: "The exhibition you have visited shows how deep are the roots, and how significant has been the growth of our common European civilisation and culture. It is up to us, as representatives of the states and peoples of the European Union, to demonstrate that we are worthy of that extraordinary legacy, and are capable of handing on to the younger generations the sense of commitment we have pursued for the past fifty years and our solemn mandate to push forward that same commitment."

All hype, no substance

The recently launched Malta Labour Party document about safeguarding our cultural heritage is all hype, but no substance.

The present Government has every right to boast of its unique track record when it comes to seeing to all that our cultural heritage requires not only to be safeguarded, but also to be presented better to visitors, to be marketed to Maltese persons and foreigners alike, as well as to be seen as a crucial resource in its own right to emphasise our identity with visitors coming over to Malta.

It is not surprising that wherever the Labour document seeks to make suggestions, it is generally quoting what has either already been carried out or is being carried out.

The document refers to providing for research with regard to all aspects of our cultural heritage. Research is already carried out by the national agency that the present Government set up to safeguard our heritage. I am referring to Heritage Malta. While it is now widely accepted as an excellent agency, the Labour Party in Opposition had objected to its being set up and it appeared to prefer carrying on with the former Museums Department.

Only recently, on the initiative of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, we launched Malta's Cultural Heritage Inventory Management System that is meant to provide total public access to information about our cultural heritage and make research easier to carry out.

The Labour Party document also refers to setting up a team that would work closely with the Malta Tourism Authority and the private sector to carry out, among other objectives, marketing of our historic sites. The MTA already works closely with Heritage Malta in this respect. Moreover, the approach to focus on tourism segments rather than merely on our source markets has meant that cultural tourism is identified as one of the more important of those segments.

More hype is made when the document refers to regeneration of historic centres with priority being given to the Grand Harbour area and the surrounding cities, as well as to the Cittadella and Victoria in Gozo.

I think that Labour's vision would be much better focused if an unbiased team representing the party visits the Valletta Waterfront project - to see how the historic vaults have been tastefully regenerated to create a unique attraction and facilities for another growth area in tourism: cruise liner passengers.

I think that the same team could then visit Vittoriosa and see how the different palaces and historic buildings have been regenerated as tourist attractions and how a yacht marina hosting some incredible yachting stars has been created in an area that had, under a Labour government, been allowed to deteriorate.

What then of the regeneration of different forts, palaces, old churches, shelters and historic sites all over the country? This year with financial help from the EU, we will be seeing a major, ambitious project by Heritage Malta to cover and present better our megalithic temples at Hagar Qim and Mnajdra begin to take shape.

The Labour Party keeps trying to impress upon us that it is ready to govern the country because from time to time it churns out a policy paper about one aspect or other of government. Easier said than done for a party that whenever in office chose to ignore our cultural heritage. Its track record is abysmal but their cheek allows them to try to impress us with all the hype they can muster, hoping that they can get away it although the meat remains lacking.

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