Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Evarist Bartolo welcomed the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and High Representative of the Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Ángel Moratinos.
The UN Alliance of Civilizations aims to bridge divides, and promote harmony among the nations, all with a view toward preventing conflict and promoting social cohesion.
In fact, the meeting between Minister Bartolo and Under-Secretary-General Moratinos stemmed from Malta’s proposal to the United Nations on an inclusive religious education programme, so as to better understand different religions, and which serves to reduce rather than increase conflicts.
At a news conference after the cordial meeting, Minister Bartolo said that countries, regions, and cities with people of different habits and beliefs need to live together and understand each other so that, wherever possible, conflicts which may arise between them are resolved in a serene and peaceful manner and not through violence.
In this context, Minister Bartolo said that Malta is already working towards this milestone, with a project called friendship cards which are used to teach children, and as such teachers and parents who are involved in the process, to respect different views and resolve disputes rationally.
On his part, Miguel Ángel Moratinos praised Malta’s initiative and described it as an extremely important and relevant project which the UN Alliance of Civilizations intends to use as a model for other countries.
In this regard, he explained how Malta has the legitimacy to work in this field because it has always spurred multilateralism and enjoyed the best relations with United Nations organisations.
Moratinos concluded by saying that, despite being a small nation, Malta always made a tremendous impact and exerted a positive influence at the international level, and that the commitment shown in this field honours the history of Maltese diplomacy.
Source: Office of the Prime Minister