Islands, all the world's islands, have since the days of Homer fed our culture and imagination. Scientific speculation has not remained aloof. From Aristotle to Darwin, fascination for these microcosms surrounded by water has tempted analytical reflection by wise men, as simple objects easily comprehended by the organisers of large systems.

Thus tourism, the geostrategies of the large powers and the famous 200-mile exclusion zone have helped to draw the interest of international public opinion for islands.

Obviously the last occasion was the Kyoto Conference on Global Climate Change. Some island countries played a prominent part, announcing that a slight rise in the level of the oceans would wipe them off the map.

We are finally realising that islands are not just bits of land in the middle of the sea, good for mass tourism, speculators, the military and the lover of literary mythology.

Millions of peoples live on islands: islanders. They have developed many and varied languages, cultures and traditions. All of this can be considered the noble, fundamental part of our common heritage.

Renewable energies, telecommunications, network services applied to education, health, trade and transport will benefit from investment by the European Union in these island regions. This opportunity will put the islanders' traditional imagination to the test.

They, the citizens of the islands, their administrations, small and medium businesses, will have everything in their favour if they accept the challenge now being put to them. What is being built is a genuine bridge between past and future. The existential absence of the island dweller in the eyes of the insensitive visitor is coming to an end. This glorious year is a call to the powerful historical presence of the men and women of the islands, to the construction of the universal neighbourhood to which we all belong.