Speaker Michael Frendo meets Italian counterpart Gianfranco Fini in Rome

The Speakers of the Maltese and Italian parliaments have agreed to start an exchange of information, staff internships and consultation on the powers of national parliaments within the framework of the Lisbon Treaty.

Speaker Michael Frendo met the president of the Italian Chamber of Representatives, Gianfranco Fini at Montecitorio, in Rome, where they discussed parliamentary procedures that scrutinised EU legislative proposals.

“The Maltese parliament values its identity as a parliament in the tradition of the Commonwealth, but as an EU member state, it must take notice of the parliamentary practice inside continental Europe,” Frendo said.

Both Speakers agreed to a reciprocal participation in celebrations to take place in Malta nad Italy in 2011, commemorating the 90 years since the establishment of the Maltese parliament and 150 years of the Italian unification.

Speaker Michael Frendo was accompanied by assistant cleark of the House Ray Scicluna, and research officer Eleanor Scerri, as well as Maltese ambassador to Italy Walter Balzan, and diplomatic consultant to the Speaker, Gaetan Naudi.