DIARY OF EVENTS 2004 JANUARY - doi photography competition

• 12 February 2004 The head of the Italian parliamentary delegation, Alberto di Luca, discussed with
Justice and Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg the formation of a common repatriation policy through the
signing of an agreement with African states, and assistance and incentive programmes for the illegal
immigrants' country of origin.
• 12 February 2004 Standard & Poor’s credit rating agency lowered Enemalta’s long-term corporate credit
rating to BBB+ from A-. S&P credit analyst Monica Mariani said that the ratings actions result from
Enemalta’s weaker-than-expected financial performance in the fiscal year ended 30 th September 2003, and
also reflect the Company’s weak liquidity, which has necessitated explicit government support.
• 12 February 2004 Justice and Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg said that the whole justice process
needed to be reformed. Dr Borg said he hoped that a White Paper would be published this year for a wide
reform in civil and criminal procedures. The Minister was addressing a seminar organised by the Chamber
of Advocates on the reform in the Family Law.
• 12 February 2004 The Government said that Transend Worldwide Ltd, a shareholder in Maltapost Ltd,
had agreed to relinquish the management of the company by September. A new team of executives will be
appointed by Maltapost over the coming months, and a call for applications to fill top management
positions is expected to be issued soon.
• 12 February 2004 IT and Investment Minister Austin Gatt said that a study on Gozo Channel ferry tariffs
was being held and a revision of the fares was not being excluded. Dr Gatt was replying to parliamentary
questions.
• 13 February 2004 Two Ambassadors presented their diplomatic credentials to President Guido de Marco
in separate ceremonies, at the Palace, in Valletta. Tajeddine Badou is the new Ambassador of Morocco,
and Christian Valentin Colteanu is the new Ambassador of Romania.
• 13 February 2004 Prime Minister Edward Fenech-Adami took part in a meeting of the International
Christian Democratic Party, in Madrid. Dr Fenech-Adami was invited by the President of the Christian
Democrat and People’s Parties International, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar.
• 13 February 2004 Malta's Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe, Joseph Licari, defended
Malta's record on human rights and its treatment of illegal immigrants during a meeting of the Committee
of Ministers' deputies in Strasbourg. Dr Licari referred to the report by the Council's Commissioner for
Human Rights, Alvaro Gil-Robles.
• 13 February 2004 The Italian Parliamentary Committee on Immigration criticised Malta’s detention of
illegal immigrants. Committee member Pietro Tidei said that, although Malta was a very densely
populated island, it was acting too rigidly with illegal immigrants and was being heavy handed by holding
them in detention for up to two years.
• 13 February 2004 Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Social Policy Lawrence Gonzi inaugurated the
new HSBC refurbished operations centre in Qormi. Dr Gonzi said that HSBC’s presence in Malta had
proved to be a catalyst for change in the banking and financial sector. Present for the inauguration were,
amongst others, Finance and Economic Affairs Minister John Dalli, and US Ambassador Anthony Gioia.
• 13 February 2004 Air Malta is the only airline from the 10 new European Union members included in a
‘White List’ of airlines considered exceptionally safe by the French Civil Aviation Directorate General.
The airlines on the list are those that fulfil European security standards.
• 13 February 2004 According to the latest figures released by the National Statistics Office, the proportion
of tourists coming to Malta for business purposes has increased. Last year, business travellers made up
8.1% of all departing tourists, compared to 5.5% in 2002. Holiday tourists accounted for the highest
proportion of departing tourists in 2003, comprising 83.7%, down from 90.7% in 2002.
• 14 February 2004 President Guido de Marco opened the Diplo Foundation's Second International
Conference on Intercultural Communication and Diplomacy, at the Coastline Hotel. The conference
focused on the increasingly important issue of communication between different organisational and
professional cultures in diplomacy.
www.diplomacy.edu/conferences/IC2/default.asp