Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Evarist Bartolo and the Rector of the University of Malta, Professor Alfred J. Vella, signed a Memorandum of Understanding through which the ministry and the Islands and Small States Institute laid the foundations for more cooperation, work and results in this important field of policy for Malta.
Both the ministry and the institute are committed to promoting the interests of small states at the local and international level, and to strengthening Malta’s central role in this regard. One which Malta continued to strengthen in recent years, and it is now hosting the Commonwealth Small States Centre of Excellence.
The Islands and Small States Institute has played an important role in this area, with its various publications and academic courses contributing to the formulation of policies for economic and social development as well as small-state studies.
In this context, the ministry and the institute agreed to strengthen their cooperation through various means, including the provision of a consultancy services, the funding of scholarships for students hailing from small states and seeking to further their studies at the Islands and Small States Institute, promoting the work of the institute in international diplomatic fora, and lobbying international institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to assist small countries in their fight against organised crime, money laundering and financial fraud.
Minister Evarist Bartolo said that small states have a lot to offer, especially when they work together for their common interests. He explained that it is easy for a country to change its flag and national anthem, but far more difficult for small states to think with their minds and follow their hearts in a world dominated by large states. The minister concluded that it is in the interests of all countries, including large countries, that small states are equipped with the right tools and resources to ensure good governance and financial transparency.
The minister also announced that the ministry is in the process of appointing the Pro Rector of the University of Malta, Professor Godfrey Baldacchino, as Malta’s first Ambassador to Islands and Small States.
Photo: DOI/MFEA
