Finance
India and Malta held their fourth round of Foreign Office Consultations in Valletta, reviewing bilateral ties. The two countries committed to expand collaboration in areas such as information and communications technology, healthcare, renewable energy, medicines, and education.
During the discussion, India and Malta discussed measures to strengthen economic and commercial ties, particularly in view of the recently signed India-European Union (EU) Free Trade Agreement (FTA), according to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs. The representatives of two countries discussed regional and global topics of mutual concern and agreed to continue their collaboration in the multilateral sector.
In a statement, MEA stated, “In the consultations, both sides reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction at the steady progress in India-Malta ties, marked by the milestone of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2025.”
“They welcomed the recent upswing in the bilateral engagements marked by high-level visits. The discussions focused on areas of cooperation such as trade and investments, tourism, technology and innovation, maritime sector and cooperation in educational and cultural fields,” it added.
Secretary (West), MEA, Sibi George, and Christopher Cutajar, Permanent Secretary, Malta’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, co-chaired the meeting on Friday.
During the visit, Sibi George met with Malta’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ian Borg, to discuss ways to improve ongoing cooperation while also widening the scope of bilateral engagement.
George and Brigadier Clinton J O’Neill, Commander of Malta’s Armed Forces, also met to discuss measures to boost bilateral defense and security cooperation.
Sibi George also met with business executives in Malta to discuss ways to expand the burgeoning economic relations, trade, and investment between the two countries.
In addition, the MEA Secretary paid a visit to Valletta’s St. John’s Cathedral.
In a post on X, Indian High Commission in Malta stated, “During his visit to Malta, Secretary (West) Sibi George along with High Commission of India officials, visited the St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, a key historic site known for its Baroque architecture which holds central place in Malta’s cultural heritage.”
India and Malta maintain friendly and cordial relations. India was among the first countries to recognise Malta’s independence in 1964, and diplomatic ties were established in 1965. According to a statement released by the High Commission of India in Malta, India and Malta have a common ancestry as Commonwealth members. Malta values the Commonwealth and has hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in both 2005 and 2015.
Source: IANS
