Speech by Dr Tonio Borg, Deputy Prime Minister of Malta to Honorary Consuls

Transcript by Melvyn Mangion

Honorary Consuls,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to begin this short introduction by welcoming you to Malta and to thank all of you for the overwhelming response to our call. The enthusiasm which you have shown by travelling from near and far to attend this conference is a clear proof of the importance and dedication which you attach to your tasks as Honorary Consuls of Malta. You are our extended foreign service in your home countries and in many places you are the only Maltese representation. Your prestigious service is invaluable for Malta and from the onset I would like to thank you all for the efforts and hard work you put in to represent Malta in your respective countries.

This meeting gives us the opportunity not only to get to know each other better but also to exchange views on how we can best meet Malta’s objectives and how to make maximum use of your undoubted acumen and dedication towards this goal. There are several innovations in this year’s programme, the first one being that right after my introduction we shall be all ears to hear your views and suggestions regarding possible future action.

The functions of an honorary consul may be broadly classified into three categories:

1. representation- Malta needs a great deal of visibility internationally. The smaller one is, the more visible one has to be. In many countries you are the only flag bearers for Malta. It is therefore important that you participate in major national events in your country so as to give Malta greater visibility. Visibility is also necessary in your media to highlight Malta’s successes ( e.g. SmartCity project) and its problems (at the moment, none bigger than the irregular migration one, which is stretching us to the limit, and where more understanding is required from other countries to help us resolve the issue);

1. care of the Maltese community in your consular district. The Maltese have settled in almost all countries of the world and it is important that they are helped to keep the Maltese culture alive. I am aware that several of you meet with the Maltese community on a regular basis and that, information is regularly sent to them about what is happening in Malta. I am also aware of the comfort and assistance you have provided to Maltese nationals visiting your city who experienced serious health or other problems. I can assure you that the individuals concerned and their families are very grateful to you.
2. Promotion of tourism, investments, trade and cultural cooperation. These are the areas which need considerable effort in order to help generate employment and well-being in our country. I will expand on this in a minute but I would like to thank those Consuls who, working very closely with Malta Enterprise, have organized investment seminars in their cities, the other Consuls who are constantly working to promote tourism, and to those who have successfully brought to Malta film crews for filming television programmes. Indeed, your combined contribution is indeed impressive!

We are now at a stage where we need to expand our consular network to be able to reach new and unexplored markets in Africa and Latin America. We also need to create more synergy amongst consuls in a given country; thus if an exhibition by Maltese artists is organized in a country where we have several consulates, it would be a good idea to have such an exhibition moving to other cities, thus getting greater exposure at a low cost. This is just one idea, but there are several other possibilities- lecturing professors, musical ensembles, singers, who could give lectures and performances in more than one city. It would be a good idea for consuls in a given country or region to come together and examine what initiatives and activities they could share.

You can rest assured that our Ambassadors to your countries will do everything in their power to help you.

In the past year, I am pleased to say that the links between our honorary consuls and the Ministry have been strengthened and new working methods developed. The goal is to place Malta’s global network of honorary consuls and expertise at the disposal of the Maltese business sector. These efforts are, and will continue, to be conducted in collaboration with other actors, including Malta Enterprise, The Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, The Malta Chamber for Small and Medium Enterprises, Finance Malta, the Malta Tourism Authority and the Malta Financial Services Authority.

Allow me now to give you a very brief overview of the Maltese economy, our priorities, our focus, our vision and our future. With EU membership in 2004, Malta became the most southerly European Union member state and has a special contribution to make to the Union through its historic, long-term links with North African neighbours. At the same time, Malta has leveraged on its English-speaking, highly-educated workforce to attract foreign direct investment from companies seeking a cost-effective base from which to enter markets in the EU and the wider Mediterranean region.

It is with these considerations in mind that Malta has embarked on several intensive structural reforms to project itself as a regional centre of excellence in the Mediterranean in seven sectors, namely education, health care, financial services, information and communications technology, tourism, high value-added manufacturing and ancillary services and Gozo, Malta’s sister island, as a model for sustainable development.

At this extraordinary period of financial turbulence and global economic slowdown — and which like other countries, Malta is not immune to- we have witnessed the unfaltering confidence of Maltese entrepreneurs to do business and to internationalise. I will just mention the strong 60 man business delegation accompanying me and H.E. the President of Malta on an Official Visit to Poland just over a month ago. Similar business delegations were also organised to Algeria, Ukraine and Portugal. Later on this month, a business delegation organised by Malta Enterprise will accompany the Hon Minister of Finance, the Economy, and Investments on a visit to the Czech Republic. Other business delegations are also being planned for even further away destinations.

It is important for you to be kept abreast of our economic priorities. You will in the coming days obtain firsthand information and experience on our economy, culture and tourism, commercial and investment sectors. There is a bigger role which you could play in all of these fields. With you we can firmly and persistently increase our far-reaching network of liaisons. We can increase trade, investment and tourist flows between Malta and your respective countries. We also welcome more businessmen from your countries to invest, do business and exploit Malta’s position as a financial, trading, logistics and high-tech manufacturing hub in Southern Europe.

Once again, I thank you for all your commitment in representing Malta. You are essential for us to meet our global foreign affairs requirements especially now when centers of economic activity are shifting profoundly not just globally but regionally. We are witnessing significant shifts within regions and not just across regions. You are our esteemed representatives in these provincial hubs. You have played and will continue to play a key role in promoting our opportunities. We look to you for the future.

Thank you once again.