Minister Vella welcomed and thanked the ambassadors for their work in their respective countries, not only in maintaining bilateral relations, but also in attracting investments, commerce and trade to Malta.
In his speech Minister Vella started off immediately with the ministry’s active involvement and preparations for the coming Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and stated that he is confident that, working hand in hand with the team of dedicated people at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry, together with the Missions, will be able to sail through this Presidency with the best possible outcomes and results.
Minister Vella said that it is understandable that the Ministry’s policy priorities for the months to come will be directly, but not necessarily exclusively, linked to Malta’s roles as President of the Council of the EU.
In his opening speech the Minister also spoke about the current political situation in the Mediterranean, migration, the situation in Libya, relations between Europe and Africa, security challenges in the Middle East, and developments in the East.