New parliament set to be completed by June 2014

The new parliament should be ready by June of next year, according to Parliament Speaker, Anglu Farrugia, during a visit by the project's architect, Renzo Piano.

This, he said, will allow for the MPs to reconvene there after the summer recess.

The new parliament building is part of a project which includes the reconstruction of City Gate, the open-air theatre which was demolished during World War II, and the ditch which surrounds part of Valletta's walls.

Piano said that he was very happy with how the projects were coming along, whilst stressing that it was very important that Maltese limestone was used throughout, referring to it as "the real centre-point of the project".

"These are not just buildings, but they are a continuation of Malta's rich history," he said.

Piano said that he and his team knew how important it was to make good use of public money, but he was confident that "everyone will be able to see that Malta's money was well-spent" by the time the project is completed.

He said that, as in every project, there were many 'minor' adaptations and alterations throughout, but felt that the end result will be "fantastic".