Foreign relations of Malta

After independence from the United Kingdom in 1964, Malta followed a policy of close co-operation with NATO countries. Since 1971, the country sought relations with the rest of the world, including communist countries in Eastern Europe and the non-aligned countries.

After substantially increased financial contributions from several NATO countries (including the United States), the Royal Navy remained in the Malta Dockyard until 1979. Following their departure, Malta charted a new course of neutrality and became an active member of the Non-Aligned Movement. The country joined the Non-Aligned Movement in 1973 as the third European member state after Cyprus and SFR Yugoslavia. Malta is an active participant in the United Nations, the Commonwealth, the Council of Europe, OSCE, and various other international organisations. In these forums, Malta has frequently expressed its concern for the peace and economic development of the Mediterranean region.

On May 1, 2004, Malta withdrew from the Non-Aligned Movement and became a full member of the European Union, with which it had an association agreement since 1971. It was one of ten new members which joined on that date. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs, at Palazzo Parisio, oversees the direction of Maltese foreign policy. The country has close relations with most sovereign countries, with an emphasis on increased trade and foreign direct investment.

Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Malta maintains diplomatic relations with:

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! colspan="3" |frameless|425x425px

! # !! Country !! Date

|

| 9

|10

|11

|12

|13

|14

| 15

|—

|16

|17

|18

| —

|19

|20

|21

|22

|23

|24

|25

|26

|27

|28

|29

|30

|31

|32

|33

|

|34

|35

|36

| 37

| 38

|39

| 40

|41

|42

|43

|44

|45

|46

|47

|48

|49

|50

|51

|52

|53

|54

|55

|56

|57

|58

|59

|60

|61

|62

|63

|64

|65

|66

|67

|68

|69

|70

|71

|72

|73

|74

|75

|76

|77

|78

|79

|80

|81

|82

|83

|84

|85

|86

|87

|88

|89

|90

|91

|92

|93

|94

|95

|96

|97

|98

|99

|100

|101

|102

|103

|104

| 105

|106

|107

|108

|109

|110

|111

|112

|113

|114

|115

|116

|117

|118

|119

|120

|121

|122

|123

|124

|125

|126

|127

|128

|129

|130

|131

|132

|133

|134

|135

|136

|137

|138

|139

|140

|141

|142

|143

|144

|145

|146

|147

|148

|149

|150

|151

|152

|153

|154

|155

|156

|157

|158

|159

|160

|161

|162

|—

|163

|164

|165

|166

|167

|168

|169

|170

|171

|172

| —

|173

|174

|175

|176

|177

|178

|179

|180

|—

|181

|Unknown

Bilateral relations

Multilateral

{| class="wikitable sortable" border="1" style="width:100%; margin:auto;"

!width="15%"| Organization

!width="12%"| Formal Relations Began

!Notes

|--valign="top"

|||

|See 2004 enlargement of the European Union

Malta joined the European Union as a full member on 1 May 2004.

|--valign="top"

|||

| See Malta–NATO relations

Malta is not a member of NATO.

Africa

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%; margin:auto;"

! style="width:15%;"| Country

! style="width:12%;"| Formal Relations Began

!Notes

|- valign="top"

||| 4 November 1965

Malta has an embassy in Cairo and 2 honorary consulates in Alexandria and Suez.
Egypt has an embassy in Ta' Xbiex.

|- valign="top"

||| 21 October 1976

Both countries have a Memorandum on Migration Matters.

|- valign="top"

|||27 February 1974||

Ghana has a high commission in Valletta.
Malta has a high commission in Accra.

|- valign="top"

||| 11 April 2006

Both countries established diplomatic relations on April 11, 2006.
Both countries are full members of the Commonwealth of Nations.

|- valign="top"

||| 15 June 1965

| see Libya–Malta relations

Both countries established diplomatic relations soon after Malta's independence.
Libya has an embassy in Balzan.
Malta has an embassy in Tripoli.

Malta has enjoyed cordial relations with Libya ever since its Independence. In 1984, a Treaty of Friendship and Co-operation was signed with Gaddafi's regime by Dom Mintoff. This treaty included a security protocol in which Libyan forces agreed to train and arm their Maltese counterparts. Libya supplied Malta with refined crude oil starting in 1975. Libyan nationals did not require visas to enter Malta until 2004.

|- valign="top"

||| 20 December 1967

Both countries established official diplomatic relations soon after Malta's independence.
Malta has an embassy in Tunis.
Tunisia has an embassy in Valletta.
Both countries are full members of the Union for the Mediterranean.
Tunisian Foreign Affairs Ministry about relations with Malta
Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration
Maltese and Tunisian Arabic are very similar languages. The two countries share very rich historical links.

|- valign="top"

||| 21 July 2004

Both countries established diplomatic relations on July 21, 2004.
Both countries are full members of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Americas

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%; margin:auto;"

! style="width:15%;"| Country

! style="width:12%;"| Formal Relations Began

!Notes

|- valign="top"

|||28 May 1975||

Argentina is accredited to Malta from its embassy in Rome, Italy.
Malta is accredited to Argentina from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Valletta and maintains an honorary consulate in Buenos Aires.

|- valign="top"

|||23 June 1975||

Brazil is accredited to Malta from its embassy in Rome, Italy and maintains an honorary consulate in Valletta.
Malta has an embassy in Brasília.

|- valign="top"

||| 21 December 1964

|See Canada–Malta relations

Canada is accredited to Malta from its embassy in Rome, Italy and maintains an honorary consulate in Valletta.
Malta has a high commission in Ottawa, and maintains a consulate-general in Toronto and honorary consulates in Quebec City, St. John's, and Edmonton.
A substantial Maltese diaspora exists in Canada.
Both countries are full members of the Commonwealth of Nations.

|- valign="top"

|||11 December 1989||

In July 2017, Maltese President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca paid an official visit to Chile.

Chile is accredited to Malta from its embassy in Rome, Italy and maintains an honorary consulate in Valletta.
Malta is accredited to Chile from its embassy in Brasília, Brazil.
Both countries are full members of Commonwealth of Nations

|- valign="top"

|||29 October 1975||

Mexico is accredited to Malta from its embassy in Rome, Italy and maintains an honorary consulate in Valletta.
Malta is accredited to Mexico from its embassy in Washington, D.C., United States.

|- valign="top"

||| 10 December 2004||

Both countries established diplomatic relations on December 10, 2004.
Both countries are full members of the Commonwealth of Nations.

|- valign="top"

||| 24 September 2009||

Both countries established diplomatic relations on September 24, 2009.
Both countries are full members of the Commonwealth of Nations.

|- valign="top"

||| 21 September 1964|| See Malta–United States relations

Malta and the United States established full diplomatic relations upon Malta's independence in 1964; overall relations are currently active and cordial. The United States has been sympathetic to Malta's campaign to attract private investment, and some firms operating in Malta have U.S. ownership or investment. These include major hotels, manufacturing and repair facilities, and some offices servicing local and regional operations.

Malta has an embassy in Washington, D.C.
United States has an embassy in Ta' Qali.

Asia

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%; margin:auto;"

! style="width:15%;"| Country

! style="width:12%;"| Formal Relations Began

!Notes

|- valign="top"

|||7 June 1993

Armenia is represented in Malta through its embassy in Rome.
Malta is represented in Armenia through its embassy in Warsaw, Poland and has an honorary consulate in Yerevan.

|- valign="top"

||| 31 January 1972 || see China–Malta relations

|- valign="top"

||| 26 February 1993

Georgia is represented in Malta through its embassy in Rome (Italy).
Malta is represented in Georgia through its embassy in Moscow (Russia).
Both countries are full members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and of Council of Europe.
Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the relation with Malta

|- valign="top"

||| 10 March 1965

| see India–Malta relations

Malta opened a high commission in New Delhi in 2007.
India opened a high commission in Malta at St Venera in early 2018.
Both countries are full members of the Commonwealth of Nations.

|- valign="top"

|||

Iran is accredited to Malta from its embassy in Rome, Italy.
Malta is represented in Iran through a non-resident ambassador based in Valletta (in the Foreign Ministry).

|- valign="top"

||| 1 December 1965

Malta has an embassy in Tel Aviv.

|- valign="top"

||| 19 February 1993

Both countries established diplomatic relations on February 19, 1993.
Both countries are full members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

|- valign="top"

||| January 1966

Malta is represented in Pakistan through its embassy in Beijing (China) and an honorary consulate in Karachi. Pakistan is represented in Malta through its embassy in Tripoli (Libya) and an honorary consulate in Marsa. Both countries are full members of the Commonwealth of Nations.

|- valign="top"

||| 1 September 1975

Malta has an embassy in Riyadh and an honorary consulate in Jeddah.
Saudi Arabia is represented through its embassy in Rome (Italy).

|- valign="top"

|||  April 2, 1965

The establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and Malta began on April 2, 1965.

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations] in 2015 President Park Geun-hye exchanged celebratory messages with Maltese President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca
Bilateral Trade in 2014
Exports 1,014,000,000 US dollars
Imports 514,000,000 US dollars
Bilateral Investments(2014):
South Korea's investment in Malta was 31,490,000 US dollars
Malta's investment in South Korea was 5,883,000,000 US dollars

|- valign="top"

||| 25 September 2007||

Both countries established diplomatic relations on September 25, 2007.
Both countries are full members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

|- valign="top"

||| 10 October 1967

| See Malta–Turkey relations

Malta has an embassy in Ankara and a consulate-general in Istanbul.
Turkey has an embassy in Valletta.
Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe, the World Trade Organization and the Union for the Mediterranean. Also, Malta is an EU member and Turkey is a candidate.
Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Malta

Europe

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%; margin:auto;"

! style="width:15%;"| Country

! style="width:12%;"| Formal Relations Began

!Notes

|- valign="top"

||| 9 November 1966

Austria is represented in Malta through an honorary consulate in Ta' Xbiex.
Malta has an embassy in Vienna and 4 honorary consulates (in Innsbruck, Linz, Salzburg and Vienna).
Both countries are full members of the European Union.
Austria Ministry of Foreign Affairs: List of bilateral treaties between both countries (in German only)
Direction of the Austrian honorary consulate in Ta' Xbiex
Directions of the Maltese representation in Austria

|- valign="top"

||| 16 February 1993

Belarus is represented in Malta through its embassy in Rome (Italy).
Malta is represented in Belarus through its embassy in Moscow (Russia).

|- valign="top"

||| June 1965||

Both countries established diplomatic relations soon after Malta's independence.
Belgium has an honorary consulate in Valletta.
Malta has an embassy in Brussels and an honorary consulate in Antwerp.
Both countries are full members of the European Union.

|- valign="top"

||| 11 September 1971

Bulgaria is represented in Malta through its embassy in Rome (Italy).
Malta has 2 honorary consulates in Bulgaria (in Sofia and Varna).
Malta joined the European Union as a full member on May 1, 2004, while Bulgaria joined on January 1, 2007.

|- valign="top"

||| 30 June 1992

Croatia is represented in Malta through it embassy in Rome (Italy).
Malta is represented in Croatia through its general embassy in Valletta (Malta) and 2 honorary consulate in Zagreb and Split.
Malta joined the European Union as a full member on May 1, 2004, while Croatia joined on July 1, 2013.
Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: list of bilateral treaties with Malta
Malta Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Croatia

|- valign="top"

||| 13 September 1972

| See Cyprus–Malta relations

The two countries share membership of the European Union and the Commonwealth of Nations.
Cyprus is represented to Malta through its accredited embassy in Rome (Italy).
Malta is represented to Cyprus through its accredited embassy in Athens (Greece).
The political relations are close due to similarities between the 2 countries (on historical, economical and regional).
List of Treaties between the 2 countries by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus

|- valign="top"

||| 10 July 1968 and 1 January 1993

The Czech Republic is represented in Malta through its embassy in Rome, (Italy) and through an honorary consulate in Valletta.
Malta is represented in the Czech Republic through a non-resident ambassador based in the Foreign Ministry at Valletta.
Both countries are full members of the European Union.

|- valign="top"

||| 26 March 1969

Denmark is represented in Malta through its embassy in Rome (Italy) and through an honorary general consulate in Valletta.
Malta has 3 honorary consulates in Aarhus, Copenhagen and Odense. It formerly was represented by an embassy in Copenhagen, but this closed in 2015 - it is now accredited to the embassy in The Hague.
Both countries are full members of the European Union.

|- valign="top"

||| 1 January 1992

Malta recognised Estonia on August 26, 1991.
Estonia is represented in Malta through its embassy in Rome (Italy).
Malta is represented in Estonia through a non-resident embassy based in Valletta (in the Foreign Affairs Ministry) and through an honorary consulate in Tallinn.
Both countries are full members of the European Union.
Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Malta

|--valign="top"

|||21 February 1969||See Finland–Malta relations

Finland is represented in Malta through its embassy in Rome (Italy) and an honorary consulate in Valletta.
Malta is represented in Finland through a non-resident ambassador based in Valletta (in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and an honorary consulate in Helsinki.
Both countries are full members of the European Union.

|- valign="top"

||| 21 September 1964

The two countries share membership of the European Union.
France has an embassy in Malta.
The president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy went to Malta on a private trip just after his election in May 2007.
French Foreign Ministry about relations with Malta

|- valign="top"

||| 16 February 1965||See Germany–Malta relations

Germany opened an embassy in Valletta in 1965.
Malta has an embassy in Berlin.
German Foreign Ministry about relations with Malta
Both countries are full members of the European Union.

|- valign="top"

||| 30 April 1966 ||See Greece–Malta relations

Greece has an embassy in Valletta.
Malta has an embassy in Athens.
Both countries are full members of the European Union.

|- valign="top"

||| 15 December 1965||

The Holy See has a nunciature in Rabat.
Malta has an embassy to the Holy See located in Rome.

|- valign="top"

||| 12 December 1970 ||

Hungary is represented in Malta through its embassy in Rome, Italy and through an honorary consulate in Valletta.
Malta is represented in Hungary through its embassy in Vienna, Austria and through an honorary consulate in Budapest.
Both countries are full members of the European Union.

|- valign="top"

||| 3 July 1998||

Both countries established diplomatic relations on July 3, 1998.

|- valign="top"

||| 13 June 1990||

Ireland has an embassy in Ta' Xbiex.
Malta has an embassy in Dublin and two honorary consulates (Dublin and Cork).
Both countries are full members of the European Union and of the Union for the Mediterranean.
The Irish Defence Forces trains officer cadets of the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM)

|- valign="top"

|||

| See Italy–Malta relations

Both countries established official diplomatic relations soon after Malta's independence.
Italy has an embassy in Valletta.
Malta has an embassy in Rome and 18 honorary consulates (in Bari, Bologna, Brescia, Cagliari, Catania, Genoa, Livorno, Milan, Naples, Palermo, Perugia, Reggio Calabria, Savona, Syracuse, Turin, Trieste, and Venice).
Both countries are full members of the European Union and of the Union for the Mediterranean.

|- valign="top"

||| 22 September 2011

Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008, and Malta recognised it on August 21, 2008.
Kosovo and Malta established diplomatic relations on September 22, 2011.

|- valign="top"

||| 7 February 1994

Malta is represented in Lithuania through a non-resident ambassador based in Valletta (in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and an honorary consulate in Vilnius.
Lithuania is represented in Malta through its embassy in Rome (Italy) and an honorary consulate in Valletta.
Both countries are full members of the European Union.
Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign affairs: list of bilateral treaties with Malta (in Lithuanian only)

|- valign="top"

||| 3 June 1969

Luxembourg is accredited to Malta from its embassy in Rome, Italy.
Malta is accredited to Luxembourg from its embassy in Brussels, Belgium.
Both countries are full members of the European Union.

|- valign="top"

||| 3 July 1996

Malta is represented in Moldova through a non-resident embassy based in Valletta (in the Foreign Affairs Ministry).
Moldova is represented in Malta through its embassy in Rome (Italy).
Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration about the relation with Malta

|- valign="top"

||| 1965

|See Malta–Netherlands relations

The Netherlands have an embassy in Valletta.
Malta has an embassy in The Hague and 2 honorary consulates (in Amsterdam and Breda).
Both countries are full members of the European Union.
Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Malta (in Dutch)

|- valign="top"

||| 25 January 2017

Both countries established diplomatic relations on January 25, 2017.

|- valign="top"

|||||See Malta–Poland relations

Malta has an embassy in Warsaw.
Poland has an embassy in Valletta.
Both countries became members of the European Union on 1 May 2004.

|- valign="top"

||| November 1968

|See Malta–Portugal relations

Malta has an embassy in Lisbon and 4 honorary consulates (in Algarve, Azores, Lisbon and Porto).
Portugal has an embassy and an honorary consulate in Valletta.
Both countries are full members of the European Union and of the Union for the Mediterranean.

|- valign="top"

||| 7 June 1968

Malta has an honorary consulate in Bucharest.
Romania has a non-resident embassy for Malta in Rome (Italy) and an honorary consulate in Valletta.
Both countries are full members of the European Union.
Malta joined the European Union as a full member on May 1, 2004, while Romania joined on January 1, 2007.

|- valign="top"

||| 26 July 1967

|See Malta–Russia relations

Malta has an embassy in Moscow and an honorary consulate in Saint Petersburg.
Russia has an embassy in San Ġwann.
Coordination Board of Russian Compatriots in Malta

|- valign="top"

||| 4 June 1968

| See Malta–Serbia relations

Malta is represented in Serbia through a non-resident ambassador based in Valletta (in the Foreign Ministry).
Serbia is represented in Malta through its embassy in Rome (Italy) and through an honorary consulate in Valletta.
Malta is an EU member and Serbia is an EU candidate.

|- valign="top"

||| 1 January 1993

| See Malta–Slovakia relations

Malta is represented in Slovakia through a non-resident ambassador based in Valletta (in the Foreign Ministry).
Slovakia is represented in Malta through its embassy in Rome (Italy) and an honorary consulate in Valletta.
Both countries are full members of the European Union.
The foreign relations between Malta and Slovakia are not very intensive. Foreign policy of Malta is concentrated rather on cooperation with Algeria, Tunis, Libya and Egypt. There is, however, 41 years lasting cooperation between those two countries.
In 2001 Slovak prime minister Mikuláš Dzurinda visited Malta at the invitation of Maltese premier Edward Fenech Adami, and negotiated the integration of both countries into European Union and economic cooperation between Malta and Slovakia.
In 2008 Slovak agency SARIA signed a treaty of reciprocal assistance related to third-world countries, with Malta Enterprise.

|- valign="top"

||| 29 June 1992

| See Malta–Slovenia relations

Malta has an honorary consulate in Ljubljana.
Slovenia is represented through its embassy in Rome, Italy and through an honorary consulate in Valletta.
Both countries are members of the European Union and the Union for the Mediterranean.

|- valign="top"

||| 10 October 1968

|See Malta–Spain relations

Malta has an embassy in Madrid and 5 honorary consulates (in Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Santander, Seville and Valencia).
Spain has an embassy in Valletta.
Both countries are full members of the European Union and of the Union for the Mediterranean.

|- valign="top"

||| June 1969

Malta is represented in Sweden through its embassy in Copenhagen (Denmark) and through 2 honorary consulates (in Malmö and Sundsvall).
Sweden is represented in Malta through a non-resident ambassador (based in the Foreign Ministry in Stockholm) and through an honorary consulate in Valletta.
Both countries are full members of the European Union.

|- valign="top"

||| 5 March 1992 || See Malta–Ukraine relations

The Maltese embassy in Moscow (Russia) is also accredited as a non-resident embassy to Ukraine.
Ukraine is represented in Malta through its embassy in Rome (Italy).

|- valign="top"

||| 21 September 1964|| See Malta–United Kingdom relations

Malta established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 21 September 1964.

Malta maintains a high commission in London.
The United Kingdom is accredited to Malta through its high commission in Valletta.

The UK governed Malta from 1800 until 1964, when it achieved full independence.

Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth, the Council of Europe, the International Criminal Court, the OSCE, and the World Trade Organization. Bilaterally the two countries have a Bilateral Cooperation Framework, and a Double Taxation Convention.

Oceania

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%; margin:auto;"

! style="width:15%;"| Country

! style="width:12%;"| Formal Relations Began

!Notes

|- valign="top"

||| 21 September 1964

| see Australia–Malta relations

Both countries have full embassy level diplomatic relations since 1967. Australia has a High Commission in Valletta. Malta has a High Commission in Canberra, In the same month, Maltese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Tonio Borg visited Australia for discussions with Australian foreign minister Stephen Smith, where the commercial relationship between the two countries were discussed, in particular the signing of a contract between a Perth-based shipbuilding company and the Maltese armed forces for the construction and delivery of four inshore patrol craft.

Malta and the Commonwealth of Nations

Malta has been a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations since 1964, when it became an independent Dominion under the name 'State of Malta'.

Malta became a republic in the Commonwealth of Nations on December 13, 1974, when the last Governor-General of Malta, Sir Anthony Mamo became the first President of Malta.

FOSS Membership

Malta has been a member of The Forum of Small States (FOSS) since the group's founding in 1992.

References

External links

Malta Missions Abroad - Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Embassies, high commissions, consulates (general), other permanent representations

Malta Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Diplomatic relations

Bilateral relations

Multilateral

Africa

Americas

Asia

Europe

Oceania

Malta and the Commonwealth of Nations

FOSS Membership

See also

References

External links