Maltese consular corps in Australia, NZ meet in Canberra

All the members of the Maltese consular corps in Australia and New Zealand held a week-end long meeting at the Maltese High Commission in Canberra.

This first meeting for the group was held on the initiative of the high commissioner, Ivan Fsadni, who also chaired it.

The meeting had three main aims: to enable the members to get to know each other better and to instal a team spirit among them; to enable each member to share his or her experience and to contribute ideas as to how their service to the Maltese community could be improved; and to advise Dr Fsadni on how best to deliver his plans to be everyone's high commissioner.

The meeting discussed the various and usual topics of great interest to the Maltese communities in Australia and New Zealand, including the issuing of passports, payment of pensions, fostering of the Maltese language and culture, the Maltese media, academic cooperation between Maltese, Australian and New Zealand universities, greater sense of unity between Maltese associations, and attracting Maltese-Australian youths to be more active in the community.

They also sought ways of seeking to improve the promotion of services of benefit to Malta in the fields of trade, tourism, investment, maritime and financial services. These topics have been discussed ad nauseam over many years and it would be nice to see some improvements.

The discussion also focused on ways of strengthening and improving communication between themselves and the Maltese communities through modern information technology methods.

On the Sunday evening Dr and Mrs Fsadni held a reception at their residence for some 80 guests, including former high commissioner Joseph Forace and Mrs Forace; the former Acting Australian High Commissioner in Malta, Gordon Selleck and Mrs Selleck; and the former Acting Maltese High Commissioner in Australia, Joseph Caruana and Mrs Caruana.

Members of the Borg Caruana and Tonna families, who lost their homes in the recent Canberra bushfires, as well as members of the Muscat family, whose house was damaged, were special guests. These families expressed their gratitude for the assistance and solidarity shown to them by people from within Australia, from Malta and from others abroad.

Dr Fsadni, Clemente Zammit, Consul General for Victoria, Charles Herrera, Consul General for New South Wales, Victor Borg, Hon. Consul in Victoria, Anthony Sciberras, Hon. Consul in Western Australia, Patricia Thake, Hon. Consul in Auckland, Alfred Fenech, Hon. Consul (Trade) in Sydney, Carmen Dalli, Hon. Consul in Wellington, Frank Scicluna, Hon. Consul designate in Adelaide and John Farrugia, Hon. Vice-Consul designate in Adelaide were among those present. Angele Azzopardi, Deputy High Commissioner, was the secretary for the meeting. She was assisted by Helen Palma, Vanessa Borg and Kristy Bos.

It was unanimously agreed that such meetings should be held annually and the second meeting is scheduled for Adelaide.