The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry and the Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association (MEIA) have signed a collaboration agreement, at Teatru Manoel on Thursday, in a shared bid to co-operate actively in the interest of the arts, cultural and entertainment professionals in Malta.

Ahead of the signing, The Malta Chamber President Perit David Xuereb said that the creative sector had an important role to play in the economy of tomorrow.

“The arts, culture and entertainment, have an important place in our socio-economic landscape. Apart from contributing to the economy as an industry in its own right, creatives have an integral role to play, in the design of a new economy for a modern Malta” Perit Xuereb said.

The Chamber President noted that the re-engineering of business models which will need to take place in the near future to guarantee a sustainable and resilient economy require the talent of the creative sector to be at its core.

The President of the MEIA Mr Howard Keith Debono said “Chamber of Commerce were crucial for the set-up of MEIA. We’ve been given nothing but support. Beyond all that we share the same values and we’re looking forward to have the creative sector included in important discussions which could ultimately benefit our country’s future”.

The Malta Chamber and MEIA have agreed to co-operate on matters of common interest in national policy.  The two representative organisations shall engage in dialogue and exchange notes with a view to endorse each other’s stands on key issues and issue joint positions or policy papers.  As part of this ongoing dialogue, the Parties may promote joint positions at national and international fora where they are separately represented.

The agreement was signed by the President Perit David Xuereb and Deputy President Ms Marisa Xuereb for The Malta Chamber, and by the President Mr Howard Keith Debono and Treasurer Mr Pawlu Borg Bonaci on behalf of the MEIA.