In a Press Conference given by Malta's Minister for Tourism and Culture Dr. Francis Zammit Dimech, David Ciliberti, AGORA Valletta 2007 Main Coordinator, outlined the main aims and objectives of AEGEE and AEGEE's Spring AGORA 2007 to be held in Valletta in few weeks time. On the other hand the Minister of Tourism congratulated AEGEE-Valletta for its 10th year anniversary and emphasised on the need and importance that European youths come together to discuss issues of common interest. View Press Coverage .

Press Release by Minister for Tourism and Culture - A culture of understanding amoung peoples

AEGEE, Association des Etats Généraux des Etudiants de l’Europe, is the European Students’ Forum. This student association, one of the largest in Europe, is made up of 17,000 students active in 260 university cities, in 40 countries all around Europe.

AEGEE was founded in Malta in 1997, and so this year is celebrating 10 years from its founding. Since that time AEGEE-Valletta has given an immense contribution to students. The Maltese AEGEE Antenna was given recognition in 1998. From that year on AEGEE in Malta began organising the Summer University which is always in high demand, and always voted as one of the best in Europe. In 2002 the Winter Event was organized for the first time to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Maltese Antenna. In March 2005 AEGEE-Valletta organized the first European Boards’ meeting. This year the AGORA will be organized in Malta, to coincide with the 10^th anniversary of AEGEE-Valletta.

The Minister of Tourism and Culture Francis Zammit Dimech, when launching the AGORA project in a press conference, said that AEGEE in Malta is giving an immense contribution to student life in our country and around Europe. He said that this organization, thanks the activities it organizes, is managing to bring European students from 40 different countries closer together.

Minister Zammit Dimech said that when students meet, they discuss among themselves in a democratic environment, and cooperate with each other while promoting mutual tolerance. He said that there is no doubt that all this leads to a better understanding of each other, thus contributing towards peace in Europe and around the world.

The Minister for Tourism and Culture said that this organization also contributes towards the tourism sector. He said that the exchange of students is in itself an aspect of tourism. He said that the University of Malta today has around a thousand foreign students, who one can consider to be permanent tourists.

Minister Zammit Dimech said that an important niche market in the tourism sector was that of English language teaching. He said that according to figures published by the National Statistics Office in 2004, 55,578 foreigners came to Malta to learn English. He said that the figure went up to 61,607 in 2005, and from Malta Tourism Authority estimates – due to the fact that official figures are not yet published – last year 67,000 persons came to Malta to learn English.

Minister Zammit Dimech said the culture of learning was the culture of understanding between peoples. For us it was also a means of accessibility of our country. He said that AEGEE-Valletta is giving its contribution towards the growth of understanding among European students, and in the increase of the number of foreigners who come to Malta for learning purposes. He said that a student was also a good ambassador of his country, and so we should make every effort so that when he comes along we entice him to visit our country’s historical sites so as to gain more knowledge about Malta, and be able to pass on his experiences to his relatives and friends. 

The Minister for Tourism and Culture congratulated AEGEE-Valletta for managing to attract the AGORA project to Malta through their work, a project that will not only bring to Malta student representatives from all over Europe, but that will also be a showcase for our country to the youth student sector.

DOI - 27.03.2007