It would be a tragedy were the entrance to Valletta to remain in its present state and so the Valletta Alive Foundation is urging the government to pursue the implementation of the City Gate project in the shortest time possible.

"The current state of the entrance to Valletta with a seven decade old opera house ruins is unacceptable. If the project were to be severely delayed or, worse, halted, Maltese and tourists would have to put up with the current state of opera house/Freedom Square for many more years. This would be a tragedy for Valletta and a tragedy for Malta," the foundation said.

It said it understood that in deciding on the project, the government took into consideration all relevant issues including heritage and tourism, architecture and urban design, culture and the arts, the needs of residents, Valletta's regeneration, economic activity in Valletta and financial aspects.

It acknowledged that the project would be a catalyst for Valletta's regeneration. "It is a very competitive world with cities competing against each other for global attention.

The linkage of Valletta, a World Heritage Site, with the name of Renzo Piano, an architect of international repute, will provide for added value to destination Malta and give Valletta greater coverage in international media," the foundation added.

Admitting there may be aspects of the proposed project it disagrees with, but stopping short from saying what they were, the foundation said it supported the decision taken, adding that it was the government's responsibility to make decisions "after due consultation and after taking into account all relevant issues. For projects of such importance and complexity, once a decision is taken, the government has the responsibility to implement".

It urged the government to ensure that the highest standards of project management were adopted during construction in order to minimise the disruption to economic activity and to residents in Valletta.