The Diplomat
The Maltese Ambassador to Madrid, Daniel Azzopardi, during a reception at the Botanical Gardens, highlighted the increase in air links between Malta and Spain as a key element in the promotion of tourism and the improvement of relations between the two countries.
The reception, convened to celebrate Malta’s National Day on its 59th anniversary, was attended by a large number of ambassadors from the European Union and other parts of the world, such as those from New Zealand, Kenya and Qatar, among others, together with diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, businessmen, representatives of civil society and members of the Maltese community in Spain.
Daniel Azzopardi addressed the meeting, underlining Malta’s commitment to the international community and its status as an elected member of the United Nations Security Council. “Malta may be geographically small and have limited resources, but our global footprint and human resources have enabled us to remain a relevant and prosperous country,” he said.
The ambassador took the opportunity to convey to his Ukrainian colleague “Malta’s unequivocal and sustained support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine”.
As for relations with Spain, which are now more than fifty years old, he described them as excellent, and pointed out that they have experienced a positive evolution in the last year. In particular, he stressed that tourism between Spain and Malta continues to grow thanks to greater air connectivity, with direct flights to Seville, Valencia, Barcelona, Bilbao and Madrid. Thus, he recalled that connections with the Spanish capital are almost daily, in some periods up to twice a day, and from November onwards including Sundays. “We are pleased to note the high occupancy rate maintained by these flights,” he said.
The ambassador indicated that this increased connectivity has also facilitated an increase in the exchange of visits by high-level officials, including the visit of the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, to Malta in April and the visit of the Maltese Prime Minister, Robert Abela, in October to attend the European Council in Grenada.
He also referred to visits by various ministers and the signing, in July, of a memorandum of understanding between the two countries to strengthen cooperation in research and innovation.
He also recalled that Malta had recently hosted the MED9 foreign ministers’ meeting and would be hosting the same forum for Mediterranean leaders in a few days’ time.
The ambassador made special mention of the launch of the Maltese Way of Saint James’ Way, a three thousand kilometre route that connects Malta with the capital of Compostela, “reviving,” he said, “a centuries-old pilgrimage”. He added that the route of the Maltese Way has been travelled so far by 315 people and two people have already made the entire journey from Malta to Santiago. “As well as bringing our cultures closer together on the basis of the historical ties we share, this project opens up new opportunities for both countries,” he said.
Finally, he addressed the chapter of commercial relations, highlighting that Spanish investment in Malta continues to strengthen, with companies such as Mapfre partnering with the largest bank in Malta, the Bank of Valletta, or ALSA, which manages the Maltese public system, which has just invested twenty million euros in thirty fully electric buses and aims to have a fleet of one hundred percent electric buses before 2033, “aligning – he said – with my government’s commitment to sustainable public transport, offered free of charge to all residents in Malta! which would make us one of the few countries in the world to offer such a service”.
He also welcomed the Barceló Group and, in the healthcare field, he referred to the presence in Spain of the Maltese company Omniscope, with operations in Barcelona, Malta and the United States. He also mentioned Guardian of the Ball, a metaverse company based in Malta with partners in Spain, Latin America and Turkey, and expressed his gratitude to the sponsors of the event: ALSA, BOV, Pjazza Teatru Rjal and AirMalta.
