Malta in increased cooperation with Lesotho and Ghana

Minister for Foreign Affairs George Vella today engaged in a number of bilateral meetings with African leaders ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM) starting on Friday, to increase cooperation between Malta and the countries in question.

Delegations are already in Malta to participate in preparatory meetings that will pave the way for the outcomes of the upcoming sessions.

Earlier this morning Vella met with Lesotho foreign affairs minister, Tlohang Sekhame and signed a Memorandum of Understanding on political consultations between the countries’ ministries, addressing primarily, matters relating to small states, with a focus on institution building and reform as well as both countries’ active involvement in international and regional organisations, such as the United Nations and the Commonwealth.

Both ministers hailed today’s development as a “landmark that will lead to several opportunities for direct exchanges at political and technical levels on bilateral and regional issues.”

According to a statement by the ministry, Vella also held official talks with the Ghanian foreign affairs minister, Hanna Tetteh, where increased cooperation in the fields of trade, education and services between the two countries were discussed.

“This was the second meeting between the two Foreign Ministers in as many years following the official visit to Malta by Tetteh in September 2013, since when Ghana opened a High Commission in Malta,” the statement reads.

The two ministers formally endorsed agreed minutes of a permanent joint commission meeting that convened for the very first time in Malta in September 2015.

The document in question lays the ground for increased cooperation on culture and tourism, trade exchanges, education and migration among other fields.

Vella’s intensive programme will proceed this afternoon with a meeting that will bring together all Commonwealth Foreign Ministers, the statement added.