Alberto Rubio
With the donation of two specimens of endemic trees of Malta, the ambassador of this country in Spain, Daniel Azzopardi, wanted to symbolize the ties that link the Mediterranean island with Spain.
During the reception he hosted on Tuesday at the Botanical Garden in Madrid, Azzopardi referred to the historical ties between the two countries, which date back to the Middle Ages, by stressing that “at the same time that we commemorate the work of our ancestors, we celebrate our independence as a tool that has opened for us as partners the door to Europe”.
The Maltese ambassador added, in this sense, that working with Spain, both multilaterally in Brussels and bilaterally, gives us the opportunity to coordinate policy areas that are of mutual interest”. He gave as examples “a multitude of opportunities and challenges”, such as the Mediterranean, immigration, climate change or LGTBI rights, “which occupy a prominent place in our respective agendas and in that of the European Union.
He also made reference to the Covid pandemic, “which has put us all to the test and reminded us how much we appreciate freedom of movement” although, he stressed, “if we look on the bright side, we have found common sense solutions that will be useful to us in the future”.
During the event, an exhibition of young Maltese artists was also inaugurated at the Royal Botanic Gardens.