MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS SIGNS DOUBLE TAXATION AGREEMENT WITH PORTUGUESE FOREIGN MINISTER

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Joe Borg, currently in Lisbon to participate in the Ministerial Meeting of the 5+5 Dialogue, signed an Agreement on the avoidance of Double Taxation with H.E. Jaime Gama, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal. The Ministers also held a bilateral meeting in the margins of the Ministerial Meeting where amongst other issues, Malta's process towards EU accession was discussed.

The Meeting of Ministers being held in Portugal is aimed at the re-launching of the 5+5 Dialogue. This regional forum comprises the countries of the Western Mediterranean, namely Algeria, France, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and Tunisia. The Dialogue was initially launched in 1990 but has not been convened since 1991 due to the various situations prevailing at the time in the Mediterranean. At the initiative of the Portuguese Government, a process was initiated to re-launch the Dialogue. During the Ministerial Meeting in Lisbon, the Ministers agreed that the 5+5 Dialogue would complement exisiting initiatives in the Mediterranean region and further enhance co-operation and dialogue in the Western Mediterranean.

Foreign Minister Joe Borg addressed the meeting on the political, cultural and civilization dialogue, where he emphasised the need to consolidate efforts that would contribute to further understanding in the Western Mediterranean and consequently in the region as a whole. (Minister's speech attached)

The Ministers agreed that in 2001 Malta would host a meeting of representatives from the universities of the ten countries comprising the 5+5 Dialogue, to deal with the subject of Culture and Civilsation.

Minister Joe Borg is expected back in Malta on Saturday, 27^th January.

Minister's speech follows

Introductory Speech by the Hon. Joe Borg, Minister of Foreign Affairs, on "Political, Cultural and Civilisation Dialogue in the Western Mediterranean Area" at a Ministerial Meeting to relaunch The Western Mediterranean Forum or '5+5 Dialogue' - Lisbon, 26 January 2001

Mr. President,

It is a pleasure for me to be back in Lisbon to discuss co-operation in the Mediterranean in this particular forum. I would like to congratulate you on this initiative that you have taken to relaunch the Western Mediterranean or 5+5 Dialogue. I must also thank the Tunisian authorities who brought our officials together to prepare for this meeting last week.

Mr. President,

I am convinced that we all, from time to time, look at the Mediterranean and wonder about its origins, the where and when of how it all began. Even as one leafs through a list of names from the region, one is struck by an extensive intermingling of peoples. What is it about the Mediterranean that it can give rise to both peaceful cohabitation, and at other times, heightened tensions and brutal conflicts?

Answers are to be found in our history books and in the various traditions that have sprung up throughout the Mediterranean, some of them widespread throughout the entire region, others peculiar to a particular country or sub-region.

Mr. President,

This common history makes us intrinsically so much more than mere political neighbours. It gives us a specific Mediterranean identity, and bodes well for our chances of exploiting the opportunities for peace, prosperity and stability that lie ahead. Yet besides the commonalities, there are also the differences that exist within the region, some fundamental, others less serious – differences that unfortunately have been exacerbated by decades and centuries of mutual mistrust and suspicion.

Mr. President,

We therefore have before us both challenges and opportunities; some of the issues we need to discuss are best dealt with at the regional level, and I here underline Malta's continued commitment to the Euromed process, which, despite the troubles that beset the region remains a vital tool as we strive to reach our common objectives. Others issues would benefit from a more specific sub-regional forum. Indeed we have our Portuguese hosts to thank for this relaunching of the 5+5 Dialogue which brings us together today - a dialogue which I am sure will be of immense value in our constant endeavour to bring peace, stability and prosperity to our neighbourhood and to the region.

A dialogue for the Western Mediterranean area with respect to politics, culture and civilisation is a feasible and practicable reality. In essence, this is what brings us here together. We plan to relaunch a dialogue that was started ten years ago, one that will bear fruit in the immediate future and one that will carry hope, new opportunities and new development well into the future.

Mr. President,

In the early nineties, the 5+5 was the first subregional dialogue of its kind in the Mediterranean. It sought to integrate the two shores of the Western Mediterranean having partners from both the north and the south. The idea was to acknowledge the richness of our civilisation and its culture - to strengthen the commonalities of our identity, and to build on these commonalities joint endeavours to improve the lot of people living on these shores.

The venture we are about to undertake must not however rest solely within the sphere of government and its direct agents. We must ensure that the process of inclusion and growth extends to every stratum of our societies. It is for this reason that we should involve non-governmental organisations, institutions, universities, professionals, academics and other grass roots workers. We need to recover co-operation models of the past - free from unnecessary rhetoric – from which we will weave together new forms of co-habitation, co-operation and co-ordination.

In order to do this we must further enrich the ongoing dialogue between us through action programmes that are designed to bring our people closer together. Much of this may originate in the story of our people, in other words, our history. Transcripts, letters and other documents stored away in our archives and national libraries could throw more light on our rich past. It may be of interest to us all if we were to draw up a programme that will enable our contemporary specialists of history to meet and exchange experiences.

Another field in which we all acknowledge deep affinities exist is the cultural

field. Here, in addition to the regular bilateral commitments that we enter into on a frequent basis, the need is being felt to project a programme of regional co-operation. While bilateral co-operation serves to promote collaboration on the political and economic fronts, there is the cultural element that we believe can be better promoted in a more regional dimension – one such as that provided by this 5+5 Dialogue.

We feel that there is an opportunity for us to collaborate more closely in promoting artisan skills prevalent in certain areas, increasing our knowledge of the artists and sportsmen of our region, and otherwise working towards a better understanding of each other through an understanding of our arts and culture. There are numerous festivals and cultural events which present opportunities to do just this. We do however need better co-ordination between us if this is to become a reality.

In this process, better co-ordination may be achieved by taking advantage of the vast technology that the information society brings to the field of learning and exchange of information. In many cases this can also be done at no particular increase in costs. These instruments need not replace, but can certainly complement, already existing human contacts. We can create opportunities to share experiences with one another and to learn from each other through joint training, the promotion and exchange of youth and the offering of study bursaries to promote the exchange of scholars. Some work in this field is already underway. I suggest however, that we make an additional commitment to this as it again constitutes a vital component of increasing our understanding of each other.

In this regard, I propose to invite the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies in Malta to develop, with the other institutes of learning in our region, a data bank listing the opportunities for student exchanges, scholarships and similar activities available within our region at any one time. This, together with all pertinent data, could be posted on the Internet and may thus be accessed by all interested parties.

Mr. President,

In addition to these initiatives which can easily serve to promote our common cultures and civilisation, we must not lose sight of the political direction of this forum, for which we are also responsible.

Fortunately for us, our corner of the Mediterranean - the Western Mediterranean - is generally free from political strife of any wide-reaching consequences. In evidence of this we may cite the manner in which we express our like-minded approach within the other regional organs – namely the EuroMed and Med Forum - of which we also form part. It is therefore incumbent upon us to break down barriers, remove misconceptions and work towards more mutual understanding in the wider region as a whole.

If we are able to do this between us, within this Forum, we can then extend this solidarity to reach other areas of the Mediterranean.

Our collective ambition in this area should be directed towards a balanced political environment. We should not be content simply by repeatedly invoking our commitments to internationally held principles. We must endeavour to promote and practice what we believe in at every turn.

In this respect, I would like to refer to the good work being carried out by our Ministers of the Interior in the fight against drug trafficking and organised crime and the exchange of information currently underway between police officials. I would also like to mention the joint maritime exercises that have been underway over the last few years.

These areas where co-operation and co-ordination is already taking place and taking place successfully, should serve as a model for other endeavours we may undertake. They serve to illustrate that the harmonisation of our approaches may yield positive action that actively contributes towards the development of peace and security and co-operation in our area. In this manner, we can also work towards creating a healthy economic environment to attract those actors, both government and private, that have a real interest in the development of our region.

Thank you.