Joe Cassar, former ambassador to Libya, passes away

The former Maltese ambassador to Libya, Joe Cassar passed away Saturday, at the age of 70.

Cassar was ambassador to Libya between 2005 and 2009, and authored a book on the Libyan revolution from Malta's perspective.

He was married to Tanja Ferrante Darbois, and had two daughters, Mateja and Valentina.

A graduate of both the Royal University of Malta and the Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Milan, he read for a doctorate in political science with a specialisation in international affairs.

Interview with MaltaToday • What future for Libya | Joseph Cassar

He was an active member of the Nationalist Party, first appointed research assistant at the PN think-tank Academy of a Democratic Environment (AZAD) in 1982, and then in 1985 he was appointed editorial director at Independence Press with overall responsibility for policy coordination.

Following the 1987 election, he was appointed acting information secretary of the Nationalist Party and later president of the administrative council. A committee member of the PN St Julian’s section, he was elected to the PN executive in 1988.

In 1990, Cassar was appointed ambassador to Eastern Europe and later adviser to Guido de Marco, then Foreign Minister and president of the United Nations General assembly. He was also ambassador to Albania and Italy, the Russian Federation and Libya.

In a statement, the Nationalist Party said Cassar was an expert diplomat who served the country in several countries.