The government has refused to comment on the United States’ possible closure of its embassy in Malta.
A foreign affairs ministry spokesperson told Times of Malta on Wednesday that “on such matters, states engage formally through diplomatic channels not via media statements.”
The ministry was reacting to news that the US embassy in Malta, located on sprawling grounds in Ta’ Qali, is one of 10 embassies and 17 consulates that could be shuttered as part of a White House plan to save money.
The White House budget office proposed a €30 billion cut from the State Department by rolling back the US’s diplomatic missions across the world and drastically cutting foreign aid.
The closure could negatively impact Maltese citizens in securing visas to the US, and could potentially impact the diplomatic relationship between the two countries, reducing direct engagement on security, economic, and cultural matters.
The US has had a permanent presence in Malta since 1964. The embassy is, by far, the biggest in Malta and employs dozens of people, including Maltese nationals.
'A big step backwards' - PN
Meanwhile, the Nationalist Party called on the government to clarify whether the US had confirmed plans to close the embassy.
“This decision would be a big step backwards in relations between Malta and the United States, and an expression of a lack of faith in the Maltese government by the US government," it said in a statement on Wednesday.
The PN highlighted that closure would mark the first time since Malta's independence without a US diplomatic presence in the country.
The embassy, the Opposition said, serves as a bridge to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries, not just on a political level but also on trade, education and culture.
Ambassador waiting to be approved
The news of the potential closure – reported by several international media outlets this week - comes just months after US president Donald Trump nominated former model, philanthropist and advertising executive Somers Farkas for the post of US ambassador to Malta.
She was awaiting senate approval before taking up the position.
Formerly in Floriana, in 2011 the US embassy moved to new premises in Ta’ Qali, covering 10 acres of land acquired from the Maltese government five years earlier for €14.6 million.
Most major EU states also have a permanent presence in Malta, while China, a major rival of the US, has been seeking to expand its presence in Malta in recent years.
In 2015, the government approved the devolution of over 19,000 square metres of land in Pembroke for the building of a Chinese embassy.
Other embassies facing the chop are Luxembourg, the Maldives, Eritrea, Grenada, Lesotho, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, the Gambia and South Sudan.