Malta will be commemorating Napoleon’s landing in Malta on the new Maltese €2 coin “to celebrate two important values that we all cherish, those of freedom and equality,” French ambassador to Malta, Agnès Von der Mühll, announced during a social networking event hosted recently by the Maltese-French Chamber of Commerce.
Napoleon arrived at the head of an occupying force which ousted the Knights of St John in 1798. The French were themselves ousted after a revolt by the Matese, aided by British and Portuguese forces two years later.
The Chamber event was attended by the community of French businesses operating in Malta and Maltese businesses doing business with France.
In her address, the French ambassador commended the Maltese-French Chamber for its continuous efforts to strengthen the already very dynamic and successful relationships between Maltese and French businesses which she described as “a vibrant testimony of the deep friendship between our two countries and the dynamism of the bilateral relations and the density of our economic ties, with France proud to count Malta as one of its main trading partners”.
Addressing the French businesses operating in Malta, the ambassador praised the dynamism of the French community.
“These are present in many sectors, from self-employed entrepreneurs to large corporations in the insurance sector, logistics, transport, microchips and pharmaceutical products.”
France proud to count Malta as one of its main trading partners
She also paid tribute to the many Maltese business leaders who “have become key players in Malta’s dynamic growth”.
Ambassador Von der Mühll concluded by thanking Malta for its unfailing support during the French presidency of the EU at a time when Europe is “shaken by geopolitical upheavals unprecedented since World War II, with the war waged by Russia against Ukraine, its sovereignty and independence, against its very existence” and saluted Malta’s cooperation for an effective multilateralism as it sits on the United Nations Security Council for two years.
Addressing guests, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade Ian Borg confirmed France as one of Malta’s main trade partners.
Maltese exports to France have averaged at around €229.2 million per year over the past five years, while imports have averaged at around €342.1 million annually. A significant proportion of exports consist of high-value-added goods processed in Malta.
In terms of tourism, France is also one of Malta’s largest tourism markets where in 2022, figures for incoming tourism exceeded the previous record set in 2019.
Commending the Maltese French Chamber of Commerce for its commitment to sustain the relationship and trade opportunities between the two countries, Minister Borg underlined the excellent and friendly relations between Malta and France and stressed that both countries will keep sharing their common goals and objectives: namely stability, peace and prosperity, while continuing to address challenges such as migration and the environment together.
The event was also addressed by Joseph Bugeja, president of the Maltese-French Chamber of Commerce, who stressed that these events remain part of the Chamber’s commitment to enable and promote the consolidation of French-Maltese relationships
He thanked Ambassador von der Mühll for her continued support and all the members of the Maltese-French Chamber of Commerce for their constant and loyal support and pledged the Chamber’s reciprocal support to all its members in their business prospects within the network and with any potential new business partners.
He also expressed his gratitude to the Chamber’s main sponsors, Bank of Valletta and RCI Insurance.
The French ambassador also announced that for this year’s French National Day, the French Embassy will for the first time be collaborating with the locality of Żebbuġ with the organisation of a public party on July 15, open to all French residents, Maltese and French tourists with the aim to share a moment of conviviality.