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Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Ian Borg, participated in the 16th session of the Sir Bani Yas Forum, hosted by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Dubai, last weekend. This Forum is a high-level retreat focusing on pressing geopolitical issues impacting peace and security in the Gulf Region and the wider Middle East. It brings together 120 delegates, including foreign ministers, current and former senior officials, as well as global business leaders and academic experts. On the sidelines of the Forum, Dr Borg also met with several other foreign ministers. On Saturday, Malta’s Republic Day, Deputy Prime Minister Borg also joined a National Day event hosted by Malta’s Ambassador to the UAE, Maria Camilleri Calleja, with the participation of Omar Al Neyadi, Director European Affairs at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the UAE, other distinguished officials, as well as representatives of the Maltese community and of Maltese companies in the UAE. In his address, Dr Borg commended the Maltese community in this country for distinguishing itself through its excellence. “You are leaders and innovators in aviation, financial services, hospitality, real estate, health services, legal services, and retail, embodying the best of what our people have to offer - competence, integrity, and ambition,” he said. The Maltese Deputy Prime Minister highlighted Malta’s forward-looking approach to its engagement with its Gulf partners, including the UAE, as demonstrated earlier this month with the launching of the new Regional Framework Policy for this region, focusing on stronger diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties in coming years. “Malta and the UAE are important commercial hubs in their respective regions and can complement each other well in a variety of sectors,” he stated. Dr Borg also stressed the importance of deeper cooperation between the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). In this regard, Malta stands ready to help translate high-level political goodwill into tangible deliverables. Photo: MFT