The Diplomat
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, greeted yesterday in Madrid his Maltese counterpart, Evarist Bartolo, with whom he discussed matters of common interest, such as migration policy, the Southern Neighborhood and security in the Mediterranean.
During the meeting, which was held at the new headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, both ministers addressed the main issues on the European agenda, and in particular the preparation and coordination of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2023.
They also pledged to continue to deepen issues of shared interest, such as migration policy and the Southern Neighborhood, and Albares congratulated his counterpart for the role played by Malta in the 5+5 Defense Initiative and within the European Union to improve security in the Mediterranean.
From the economic point of view, the two ministers agreed to take advantage of the opportunity of the European recovery funds to increase trade and business exchanges and the head of Spanish diplomacy stressed, in particular, that Spain’s Recovery Plan will help promote digitalization, the green economy, infrastructure development or the agri-food industry, sectors that open opportunities for Spanish companies in Malta.
Finally, the two ministers shared views on current international issues, such as the situation on the border between Russia and Ukraine, North Africa and Latin America. The Maltese minister also highlighted his country’s growing interest in the Ibero-American continent.
Precisely, Evarist Bartolo coincided the day before in Madrid with practically all the Ibero-American ambassadors accredited in Spain during the inauguration of the Informative Day Discover Malta: A Meeting Point in the EU and the Mediterranean, held at the Hotel Urso in Madrid and in which also participated the Secretary General of the UNWTO Zurab Pololikashvili, and his ambassador in Madrid, Daniel Azzopardi. At the meeting, Bartolo underlined the “important nexus of union that is Spain, to which we are linked by our common history, as a platform to broaden and deepen our relations with Ibero-America”. Malta will soon open its first Embassy in South America, specifically in Brazil.
