Valletta has been officially recognised as the 2018 European Capital of Culture by the European Council of Ministers.

The official title, which also includes all towns and villages in both Malta and Gozo, was handed to Parliamentary Secretary Josè Herrera during a council meeting yesterday.

“This title will open up opportunities to explore other methods to bring about a change fuelled by cultural activities,” he said.

The change had to be sustainable and focused on a concrete impact while keeping in mind the needs of a modern society through a cultural and artistic exploration, Dr Herrera added.

Preparations for Valletta 2018 were “moving ahead” on various fronts including the cultural infrastructure, reach-out programmes for the community, strengthening European and Mediterranean collaborations and financing.

The work and energy of civil society and voluntary organisations had brought about a number of initiatives that were leading to new creative and cultural projects, he said.

Dr Herrera said the title’s prestige would increase the will and determination to make the cultural sector more dynamic and active.

During the council meeting, the Cypriot town of Paphos and Aarhus in Denmark were named European capital cities for 2017.