Institute of Directors (IoD) chairman James Satariano congratulated Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami on his electoral victory and expressed the IoD's wish for Maltese entrepreneurs, commercial leaders and the people to work together so that no-one would be denied the benefits of European Union membership.

"This is a historic moment when the Maltese electorate has clearly shown that the European Union is their foremost political goal, to achieve a quality of life and standard of living that is currently enjoyed by EU member states' citizens" Mr Satariano said.

"Malta's status on the international stage will be greatly enhanced, which underlines the referendum result announced on March 9. The national movement in favour of EU membership led by the Prime Minister confers a right on our nation which the majority has believed would be our place for some time.

"By working to free the nation from colonialism, by seeking to establish a republic and create our own constitution, we as a free people are able to freely decide our place in the European context alongside other nations whose history and culture reflect our own", Mr Satariano continued.

Referring to the favourable package obtained by Malta's negotiators, Mr Satariano said this was galvanising support to making membership a success.

"With the support of entrepreneurs, and the hard work of the new government, there is no reason why we cannot prosper from membership: in the conference we organised with the British High Commission last December, Lord Leon Brittan made this very point, and I am now pleased to say that this will become a reality. The Prime Minister will have IoD's full backing to achieve this goal."

The IoD said that Malta's size and the determination of its entrepreneurs would be key factors in Malta realising its full potential within the European family and that Malta's company directors were convinced that investment would grow on a very solid foundation.