Switzerland and Malta reaffirm their ties
Bern, 30.10.2018 - Switzerland and Malta maintain good and increasingly intensive relations. This was emphasised by both sides during an official visit to Switzerland by Maltese President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca on Tuesday, 30 October. In addition to bilateral issues, Malta’s head of state and President Alain Berset discussed European and migration policy issues, as well as developments in the conflict areas of North Africa and the Middle East.
The delegations discussed the conflict in Syria and - with a view to an international conference planned for mid-November in Palermo - the situation in Libya. With respect to migration, the discussion focused on developments in the Mediterranean region. Switzerland and Malta share the goal of reforming the Dublin system in order to achieve a balanced system of solidarity for the distribution of refugees in Europe.
Other issues covered during the meeting included the ongoing negotiations on an institutional agreement between Switzerland and the EU, and the dispatch adopted by the Federal Council at the end of September on a second Swiss contribution to selected EU member states, including Malta.
Both sides noted the contribution made by neutral countries towards current global debates, as well as the importance of maintaining the recent momentum in bilateral relations between Switzerland and the Republic of Malta. Ms Coleiro Preca's official visit was a return visit following that of Johann N. Schneider-Ammann to Malta in 2016 during his year as president.
Switzerland recognised the Republic of Malta shortly after its independence in 1964. The most important agreement between the two countries concerns the Mediterranean Academy for Diplomatic Studies (MEDAC), which Switzerland and Malta jointly founded in 1990. In 2002, Switzerland and Malta jointly established the ‘DiploFoundation', the aim of which is to improve the chances for smaller states and developing countries to make their voices heard throughout the international system.
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