Malta envoy eyes broader cooperation with Qatar

Malta's newly appointed Ambassador to Qatar, Maria Camilleri Calleja, has expressed her desire to expand and strengthen bilateral relations between the two nations. In an interview with Gulf Times, she highlighted the need to translate their strong political ties into tangible cooperation across various sectors such as trade, investment, education, research, culture, tourism, and sport.

Calleja emphasized that her primary focus would be on translating the existing political relations into more practical cooperation, while also attracting greater Qatari investment to Malta, increasing tourism flows, and building stronger links between universities, businesses, cultural institutions, and other organizations.

She noted that Malta and Qatar share several common characteristics, including being small states with significant strategic importance. Both nations recognize the value of connectivity, international law, multilateralism, and maintaining dialogue with a wide range of partners. Additionally, they acknowledge that a country's influence in international politics and economy cannot be solely determined by its geographical size.

The Ambassador identified several key areas where cooperation between Malta and Qatar can be enhanced, such as investment, financial services, aviation and maritime affairs, technology and innovation, renewable energy, education and research, tourism, sport, and culture. She particularly emphasized the potential for stronger links between institutions rather than limiting cooperation to government-to-government contacts.

Calleja also highlighted Malta's unique position as an EU member state, which allows her to contribute valuable insights to strengthening Qatar-EU relations. She explained that Malta's European-Egyptian background enables her to understand both the European and Mediterranean perspectives, making her well-equipped to act as an active interlocutor between Europe and the Gulf.

Overall, Calleja's goal is for the relationship between Malta and Qatar to extend beyond being merely stronger on paper to encompass a broader range of participation, including increased business collaborations, academic and cultural exchanges, and greater investment. She believes that by fostering stronger connections between their societies, the bilateral relationship will become more resilient and sustainable.