EU Commisison President Jose' Manuel Barroso praised Malta today for having quickly moved to the heart of European integration.

Speaking alongside Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi at the Auberge de Castille, Mr Barroso said that since joining the EU in 2004, Malta had made great strides forward economically and, with membership of the Schengen area and the euro zone, it was also at the heart of European integration.

Mr Barroso arrived in Malta this morning and went straight to Valletta where he toured the 'Europe close to you fair', being held at City Gate and chatted with visitors. He then had talks with the Prime Minister at the Auberge de Castille.

Mr Barroso at a press conference said he was pleased to be celebrating euro adoption by Malta.

"The euro is there to make the life of citizens easier. It is more than just a very strong and credible currency, it is a powerful symbol of our European project and Malta is already at the heart of European integration" he said.

Questioned about the strength of the euro, Mr Barroso said he trusted the work of the European Central Bank. It was impressive that the euro was so strong, he said, but this was causing concerns in some quarters and the issue was being looked at closely. It was however, not appropriate to blame the euro for such concerns. He also pointed out that most European economies had continued to grow, and so had exports.

Dr Gonzi also spoke on how the Maltese ecnomy had grown and said the euro was a tool for such growth to be sustained and improved.

Mr Barroso is heading European leaders and Central Bank governors for the official euro adoption celebrations, which will reach their highlight with a concert at the Mediterranean conference centre this afternoon.

Picture: Mr Barrosso meeting visitors at the Europe close to you fair in Valletta. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi).