'Many opportunities' to expand Portugal-Malta ties

Vanya Walker-Leigh talks to Portuguese Ambassador Antonio Russo Dias

"A World-famous Portuguese singer, Cristina Branco, will open the Manoel Theatre season with a recital on September 30 to mark our current EU Presidency," Portugal's ambassador to Malta, Antonio Russo Dias, told The Sunday Times.

In an exclusive interview, the ambassador said that Ms Branco has won fame both as an interpreter of the traditional Portuguese fado laments and modern music.

"The concert follows the exhibition of 16th century Portuguese maps and texts relating to the then Portuguese-Maltese relations opened recently at Middlesea House (the former Montgomery House) in Floriana. A photography exhibition will take place at Palazzo de la Salle in Valletta in October.

"Next year we hope to organise an exhibition of works by modern Portuguese painters as well as an event dedicated to the discoveries of Portugal's great explorers and the encounter of civilisations.

"These events are a new stage in the developing relations between our two countries," he stated, "following the opening of our embassy here in late 2005. I see many opportunities for expanding economic and cultural ties. Malta and Portugal also have similar views on a broad range of issues - in particular relating to Africa and the Mediterranean. We co-operate closely within the EU political structures and in international organisations."

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi recently visited Premier José Socrates in Lisbon for talks on the Presidency programme, while next year President Fenech Adami will make a state visit to Portugal - an important occasion which will also make Malta better known to the public. Portuguese tourists are however already beginning to visit Malta - thanks to the recent launch of Malta holiday by two Portuguese tour operators."

"Unfortunately, there are few Maltese tourists going to Portugal (apart from pilgrimages to Fatima), due to the high cost and long duration of the existing flight connections. Despite the efforts of the Maltese government, there does not seem to be much prospect of a low-cost carrier operating the route."

While trade flows between the two nations are negligible and unlikely to increase significantly, the recent establishment of Banif Bank Malta (60 per cent controlled by Banif Bank Portugal) in St Julian's under the chairmanship of the former Ombudsman, Joseph Sammut, is the first of what the ambassador expects to be a series of Portuguese investments in Malta. This €18 million (Lm7.7 million) investment will create 300 jobs at seven retail branches.

A renewable energy project - a field in which Portugal is a market leader - is also under discussion. "At some stage, I hope that a commercial attaché will be added to our embassy," Mr Russo Dias stated.

Having served in Brazil, France, Iraq, Serbia and Macedonia, the ambassador was born and educated in Mozambique, a former Portuguese colony in Africa. He was also ambassador to another ex-colony, Guinea Bissau, and for three years was vice-president of the Portuguese government's Institute for Co-operation. His family background and professional experience give him strong views both on present EU-Africa relations and EU development policies.

He is deeply concerned at the prospects for the forthcoming EU-Africa summit being organised by the Portuguese Presidency in November - a belated follow-up to the first summit in 2000. The invitation issued to the Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe has caused several EU states to threaten the non-attendance of their own leaders. "Indeed, he is a dictator, but not the only one on the continent," Mr Russo Dias remarked. "Moreover, EU countries have maintained relations with many non-democratic countries, both in Africa and elsewhere.

"The growing flow of illegal migrants into Europe from Africa in a desperate search for work show us that the development model we have been financing for the past 50 years is just wrong. The Western- educated elites we trained to take over our ex-colonies were quite cut off from their own peoples, as are many of their successors, while aid programmes simply failed to attack the root causes of poverty.

"We need a completely new development paradigm, as well as a completely new type of relationship with African countries, a structured on-going dialogue. This should be launched at the forthcoming summit. Were this opportunity lost, this would be tragic for both continents.

"Portugal has received a good number of illegal immigrants, albeit arriving overland from Spain, and not by sea. "Integration is a challenge we have been facing for decades, since many African citizens of the ex-colonies came to Portugal. It was easier for them however, since they spoke Portuguese and often had relatives there already."

Present inflows, legal and illegal, include many Senegalese, as well as Ukrainians and Moldavians. "The government has already organised three legalisation campaigns over the last few years, but integration is not always easy - especially for the children of immigrants. They feel, indeed are Portuguese, but they also feel shunned and alienated by our society, congregating in ghettos and developing their own 'protest' culture."

As a gesture of solidarity with Malta, a few illegal immigrants now on the island will shortly be resettled in Portugal.