Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson visited Malta on Wednesday 9 November for talks with Maltese Foreign Minister George W Vella, Deputy Prime Minister Louis Grech, and Parliamentary Secretary for the EU Presidency Ian Borg.
The discussions focused on the bilateral relationship between Malta and the UK, migration, Libya, the Commonwealth, and the EU.
Following the meeting with Maltese Foreign Minister George Vella, the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:
Malta and the UK share a historic and important bond and we will continue to work closely to improve those ties further and to respond to the collective challenges we face.
Our two nations enjoy close cooperation on defence, security and migration, and I look forward to a shared future of increased cooperation.
Foreign Minister Vella and I discussed many issues, including the Commonwealth, and I encourage Malta, as current Commonwealth Chair In Office, to continue to offer support to the organisation, and to the ongoing reform programme. Malta has lots of practical support and encouragement to offer fellow Commonwealth nations.
The Foreign Secretary also met with Deputy Prime Minister Louis Grech and Parliamentary Secretary for the EU Presidency Ian Borg.
The Foreign Secretary said:
Although we are leaving the EU, we are not leaving Europe. I reassured my Maltese colleagues that the UK is more committed than ever to upholding the enduring partnership between our two countries and our two peoples.
This relationship will not diminish with the UK leaving the EU. The UK is looking forward to working closely with Malta during its first ever Presidency of the EU starting in January. I reminded my colleagues in Malta that while we remain a member of the EU, we will continue to play our full role in EU affairs.