Bank of Valletta has been named the Preferred Partner of Valletta 2018 Foundation, leading up to the European Capital of Culture in 2018.

This partnership was made public during a brief ceremony held at The House of The Four Winds in Valletta and addressed by BOV chairman Deo Scerri and Valletta 2018 Foundation chairman Jason Micallef.

Also present for the occasion were Deo Debattista, Parliamentary Secretary for Consumer Protection and Valletta 2018 and Mario Mallia, chief executive officer of BOV.

Tracing the indelible links between the origins of the bank and the capital city, Mr Scerri said: “The bank’s link with Valletta goes beyond the adoption of the name ‘Valletta’ in ours. The patronage of arts and culture, as well as significant conservation projects have been featuring prominently in the bank’s community programme for decades.”

He said that the bank looks upon this role as integral to its commitment towards the community, as is its responsibility to continue growing sustainably and supporting the local economy and key players to grow.

In this regard, Mr Scerri also made reference to the bank’s decision to strengthen its capitalisation further by issuing a rights issue of €150 million over the coming months.

“The robustness of our organisation is the enabler that permits us to come to the fore and support Valletta 2018 Foundation as it hosts the European Capital of Culture in Malta.”

Thanking Bank of Valletta for its support, Mr Micallef said: “We are delighted to have Bank of Valletta as our partner through this journey.

“As we get closer to 2018, the level of interest and participating in the activities being organised continues to grow.

“Our close collaboration with the government, public authorities and the private sector is aimed to prolong the positive effect and to having a long-lasting legacy for European Capital of Culture 2018 and beyond.”