The Nationalist Party was proud of the way Malta went about its presidency of the European Union, Opposition leader Adrian Delia told the members of the diplomatic corps on Thursday. It showed how right the Nationalist government had been when it sought EU membership, Dr Delia said at the exchange of New Year greetings.

Unfortunately, he said, after the successful first half of last year, the second half was dominated by the shocking murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia which overnight turned Malta's reputation.

The new year, he said, had its own challenges, both for Malta and the EU.

The UK's choice to leave the EU had to be respected, he said, but Malta would feel the loss of an ally and friend with whom it shared a special relationship. Malta now needed to ensure that the impact of the UK's departure would be eased as much as possible, for the Maltese, all Europeans, and Britons. 

The PN leader welcomed signs of economic revival in the EU and expressed confidence that this momentum would be maintained. 

One should not, however, ignore problems faced by countries on the EU's periphery, such as Libya, where all wanted to see a stable, unifying government.  

He also underlined the need for the human rights of migrants to be respected.

Concluding, Dr Delia said it was an honour that Valletta was now European capital of culture, a title which the former PN government had worked for.  This was an opportunity for Malta to showcase itself, its values and characteristics, he said. 

Read the address in full on pdf below.

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