Foreign Affairs Minister Ian Borg met with his Indian counterpart in New Delhi this week.

Borg and Indian Foreign Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar discussed trade between the two countries and the 60^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malta and India, which will be marked next year.

Currently, there are 112 companies from India operating in Malta, with many focused on the pharmaceutical sector. Borg and Jaishankar agreed on the need to explore further opportunities to expand business relations, primarily in the financial sector.

During his visit to India, Borg also met with the Confederation of Indian Industries to further discuss the potential to grow Indian business interests in Malta, as well as opportunities for Maltese companies to expand eastward.

He also met with Malta’s honorary consuls in India, who are spread across the country, and thanked them for the work they do on a daily basis.

Borg also met with Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi and Sister Marcelle Buttigieg, who has doing charitable work in India for several years.

Borg with High Commissioner to India Reuben Gauci and consuls for Malta in India. Photo: Foreign Affairs Ministry

The visit to India caps a whirlwind week for Borg, who is at the heart of a driving test scandal dating back to his time as Transport Minister.

News of Borg’s involvement in the racket broke on Sunday, just before Borg joined other EU foreign affairs ministers for a historic meeting in Ukraine’s war-rattled capital city Kyiv.

Borg has insisted he did nothing wrong by forwarding requests to "help" specific driving test candidates to the man in charge of licensing at Transport Malta, Clint Mansueto. 

Prime Minister Robert Abela has backed him, saying such requests are part of Malta's political system.