President Emeritus Dr Ugo Mifsud Bonnici,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

I thank you, Mr Ambassador for your kind words which I appreciate.  May I, Mr Ambassador, express my sincere congratulations and best wishes on this special day to you and to the highest authorities and people of Azerbaijan.

As you rightly pointed out, Mr Ambassador, Azerbaijan and Malta, though physically distant from each other, enjoy interesting similarities.  Azerbaijan’s strategic trade routes connecting Europe to Central Asia and the Near East and on the shore of the Caspian Sea makes it a relevant trading and maritime nation. 

Azerbaijan is endowed with a rich history and culture.  It is among the areas of earliest human settlement dating back to the seventh and sixth millennia BC.  The world is fortunate enough to have inherited from Azerbaijan amongst the finest literature and works of art.  Among the finest works are those of Nizami Ganjari, poet and philosopher, whose works are considered as one of the treasures of the world’s cultural heritage.

Your country, Mr Ambassador, has been invaded and fought over by many empires and rulers.  However, one cannot but admire the courage and determination of the Azerbaijani people in their endeavours towards establishing the foundations of statehood of an independent Azerbaijan.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Azerbaijan is today an independent country and a member of all the most important international fora, including the Council of Europe.  Though the scars of the past are still visible and have not yet completely healed, Azerbaijan is making considerable efforts towards establishing a fully fledged democracy based on the rule of law and the respect for human rights. 

Our bilateral relationship is still in its infancy.  Diplomatic relations between the two countries have been established in 1995.  We have still a long way to go in establishing an ongoing dialogue between us.   In this era of telecommunication and technological advances, we should not let distances hamper our activity.  We should engage more in all sectors, be they political, economic, social and cultural.  I agree with you, Mr Ambassador, that our business communities should sit down together and identify possible avenues of cooperation.  Above all, the appropriate legal infrastructure that caters for a better conduct of business should also be put in place without further delay. 

One of the areas most at heart and where cooperation is possible concerns the educational sector.  It gives me great pleasure, Mr Ambassador, to congratulate your country for heavily investing in this important sector of the economy.  Indeed, it is interesting to note that Azerbaijan has four thousand students, at present, following degrees in universities overseas.  You may wish to note, Mr Ambassador, that here in Malta we have one of the oldest accredited Universities in Europe and we have established ourselves as a centre in the Mediterranean for the teaching of the English language.  I augur that our two countries should further explore this potential to our mutual benefit.

Finally, I cannot but appreciate and congratulate Ambassador Karimov for leaving his country of residence to celebrate the national day of Azerbaijan in Malta.  I understand that this is the first time that Azerbaijan’s national day is celebrated in Malta.  This should augur well for the enhancement of our relationships. 

May I now, Mr Ambassador, propose a toast to your health, to the health of our two countries and to peace and security in our regions and the world at large.