“We must take care of Gozo’s charm, because if we lose it, much more can be lost,” the President warned on the occasion of Republic Day in Gozo.

During a ceremony held in Victoria on Tuesday evening, President George Vella expressed his concern about how the erosion of natural beauty can also result in the loss in quality of the Gozitan tourist product, which is sought not only by tourists, but also by thousands of Maltese.

He added that “the quality of our life and that of our children actually depends on the environment around us.”

In his speech, the President spoke about sufferings that many are going through in silence. He mentioned abuses and domestic violence, destructive addictions to alcohol and drugs, and the very insidious addiction to gambling, hate speech on social media, and physical or cyber bullying.

“None of us has a solution for all the things that I am mentioning, but we all have a responsibility and a role to play,” said the President while appealing to the victims and their relatives to speak up and seek help.

For their part, the authorities, said the President, “must continue to do their best so that the means and tools available to them to alleviate these social plagues are used efficiently, with the deserved dignity, and without distinction.”

President Vella said that everyone must enjoy social justice – Maltese, Gozitans, and foreigners, and he expressed concern that we still find it difficult as a people to implement the integration of foreigners among us.

“There should be no room for racist or xenophobic act or words in our society and we need to educate ourselves, first and foremost,” warned the President.

With reference to the ongoing discussion in our country, President Vella reiterated his hope that “with the ongoing discussions, a solution which duly addresses all the points being raised by the different stakeholders in this debate will be found.”

The President called each and every one of us so that, “despite the differences and divergences, we continue to seek unity between us and strive for peace around us and beyond.”

“Let us continue to look forward constructively and with both feet on the ground. Let us continue to pull on the same rope to strengthen common good and achieve lasting results, as one and united People,” concluded the President.

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