Good progress to ease village feast pique - President

Positive progress was made over the past year to ease village feast pique through meetings with organisers and band clubs, President George Abela said yesterday.

Without going into detail, Dr Abela said progress had been made on the appeal he launched last year when he warned he would not attend village feasts where pique existed.

Dr Abela was speaking during the feast of St Publius in Floriana, an event which marks the opening of the festa season.

During the same event last year, Dr Abela had promised to start a series of meetings with band club associations, fireworks enthusiasts, the police and the College of Parish Priests to discuss how feasts could be improved to promote a greater civic sense, unity and enjoyment.

Dr Abela said yesterday the feast of St Publius reminded him of the Maltese values and characteristics of hospitality that dated back to St Paul's shipwreck. Even Pope Benedict XVI commented about the Maltese's extraordinary hospitality during his visit last week, Dr Abela said.