Maltese and Sicilian youths have embarked on a seven-month cultural exchange project to compare the islands’ common traditions and the way their local councils work.

The youngsters from Sicily visited Local Councils Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said yesterday.

Dr Said told the Sicilians he had experienced first-hand the benefits of such exchanges before joking that today they would be visiting “the best place in Malta”, his native Gozo.

“There are differences between our cultures but there are far more similarities. We should find what we have in common rather than focus on the differences,” he said.

The visit by the Sicilian youths follows a similar visit by their Maltese counterparts to Catania some weeks ago when they met the mayor and took part in a series of activities related to democracy.

Giacomo Bellavia, a local councillor, said the group was proud to visit Malta and hoped the visit would help strengthen ties between the two islands.

Carmelo Toscana, one of the youths from Catania, echoed Mr Bellavia’s comments and said: “I hope the visit will lead to more cooperation between Malta and Sicily.”