Cultural dialogue is the key to extinguishing the growing tensions in the Mediterranean region, according to Education Minister Evarist Bartolo.

In his second call for increased cultural integration this week, Mr Bartolo yesterday urged stakeholders to promote dialogue between different cultures, particularly in the face of increased tensions in North Africa and the Middle East.

“Dialogue may seem futile in the face of such atrocities but it should be promoted now more than ever. Those involved in culture should be pushing for this as much as possible,” he said.

The minister was addressing a conference on Mediterranean cultural dialogue, which featured a number of experts delving into the current cultural landscape in southern Europe and North Africa.

Mr Bartolo was following up on comments he made during a press conference on Tuesday, when he said that the wave of racism taking over the island did not tally with Malta’s cultural heritage.

We were promised a spring but instead got a hellish winter

“Our society is built on diversity through culture and culture is tolerance,” he said then.

Describing the tensions in North Africa, Mr Bartolo said yesterday: “We were promised a spring but instead got a hellish winter.”

His views were shared by modern historian Mostafa Hassani Idrissi, who described the prevailing political tensions in the Mediterranean as “the next Cold War”. The tragic events of 9/11 had caused a clash of civilisations that was still being perpetuated today, he noted.

Mr Bartolo urged Maltese society to support those fleeing war-torn regions and to speak up against politically-motivated violence.

“When everywhere is burning, people are busy shouting ‘fire, fire’ when they should all be shouting water,” he said.