Exchange of Greetings 2024
On the 16th of January 2024 the Honorary Consuls accredited to Malta, exchanged New Year greetings with the President and the Prime Minister of Malta who, in turn, expressed appreciation for their role in the representation of other countries and their citizens in Malta.
The President of Malta, George Vella, encouraged the honorary consuls to serve as a guide to the laws of the country so that foreigners can adapt well to life in Malta and be the agents of integration in the Maltese community.
The President of Malta, George Vella, described as “fundamental” the functions of the honorary consuls so that Malta’s potential continues to be publicised in the countries they represent. While encouraging them to continue building on the initiatives in the fields of trade and investment, President Vella said that Malta needs to continue investing in new enterprises that can catch on well in the country. Here, he referred to the foreign workers in Malta and said that against this background, the honorary consuls should serve as a guide for them on the laws of Malta so that they can adapt well to life in the country.
The Dean of the Honorary Consular Corps, Joseph Buhagiar, expressed the importance that Honorary Consuls need to be responsible for their actions and that it is essential that they follow the code of ethics, as this would ensure the continued respect by the authorities of the receiving state. Following a mention to the investigation made on Honorary consuls by The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) the Dean stressed the importance that the appointment date of each Honorary Consul need to be clearly listed in government websites. Having appointment dates helps understand how long the honorary consuls have been serving, and whether allegations or controversies that involved them happened before, during or after their tenure as Honorary consuls.
The honorary consuls also met with Prime Minister Robert Abela at Castile. Dr. Abela said that against the backdrop of international turmoil, Malta was committed to continue to strengthen economic security in the European Union and the World Trade Organization. He noted that despite the fact that the global economy wa facing turbulent times, Malta was at the forefront to meet the world challenges because this year, it is predicted that Malta will have the largest economic growth in the European Union. Dr. Abela mentioned that this year will be a very active one for Maltese diplomacy as the country would continue to serve in the Security Council of the United Nations and from the start of the year, had began to occupy the Presidency of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE.
The Dean of the Corps of Honorary Consuls, Joseph Buhagiar, said that the role of the honorary consuls continued to increase in its importance with the presence of foreign workers in the country who he said needed the support of the consuls. Professor Buhagiar also expressed the importance on the neutral stance that an honorary consul should take when speaking about topics like war. This is because honorary consuls, unlike ambassadors, are apolitical. However, the silence of honorary consuls on such topics should not be taken as a sign of apathy.