‘I often encountered vague or outdated perceptions of Malta,’ Malta’s High Commissioner to the UK says

Malta’s High Commissioner to the UK Stephen Montefort has highlighted a particular issue he has encountered since taking up his position last year.

“Since taking up my post in London, I have often encountered vague or outdated perceptions of Malta among members of the diplomatic community,” Prof. Montefort said, indicating that this is one of the reasons the Malta High Commission in London, under his leadership, organised a recent visit for high-level diplomats to Malta.

The delegation of senior ambassadors and high commissioners accredited to the United Kingdom visited Malta and Gozo earlier this month as part of an initiative to strengthen international awareness of the Maltese Islands and promote new opportunities for trade, investment and cooperation.

“This visit was designed to provide a first-hand experience of what Malta and Gozo have to offer and to create stronger links between our institutions and those of the countries represented,” Prof. Montefort said.

The visit, which took place between 1st and 6th June, brought together the Ambassadors of Hungary, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Romania and the European Union, together with the High Commissioner of Zambia and the Ambassador of Honduras, who currently serves as Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in the United Kingdom.

During their stay, the diplomats met Foreign Minister Chris Fearne, Permanent Secretary Christopher Cutajar, then Speaker of the House Anġlu Farrugia and Archbishop Charles Scicluna.

They also held discussions with representatives of TradeMalta, Malta Enterprise, the Malta Financial Services Authority, the Malta Tourism Authority and The Malta Chamber. In Gozo, meetings were organised with the Gozo Business Chamber, the Gozo Regional Development Authority and the Gozo Tourism Association.

The programme highlighted Malta’s strengths in trade, financial services, tourism, culture, film production, hospitality, food and wine. The delegation also visited a number of cultural and heritage sites across Malta and Gozo.

The ambassadors were hosted by several organisations and entities, including The Xara Collection, the Mediterranean Conference Centre and the British High Commission in Malta, where they had the opportunity to meet members of a Maltese trade delegation that had returned from the United Kingdom only days earlier.

At the conclusion of their visit, members of the delegation expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Malta’s economic, cultural and institutional landscape and pledged to share their experiences and insights within their respective countries.

The ambassadorial visit followed a successful trade mission  last year organised by the Malta High Commission and TradeMalta to Liverpool, Wrexham and Cardiff.

The initiative had brought together around 40 participants, including representatives from TradeMalta, Malta Enterprise, the Malta Financial Services Authority, the Institute of Tourism Studies, Tech.mt, The Malta Chamber and the Gozo Business Chamber.

It focused on sectors including digital innovation, technology, advanced manufacturing, engineering, hospitality, life sciences and financial services, with the aim of creating new commercial partnerships between Malta and regions of the United Kingdom beyond London.

Among the speakers were Maltese entrepreneurs already operating successfully in the UK, including hotelier Winston J. Zahra and pharmaceutical executive Gabriel Micallef, as well as Liverpool-based technology entrepreneur John Keefe, whose company has established operations in Malta.

The mission generated interest in Malta’s business environment, investment incentives and strategic position as a gateway to European and international markets. Follow-up discussions are already underway and plans are being considered for similar trade missions in other regions of the United Kingdom.