Setting Strategic Objectives for Malta's Foreign Policy

For some, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs may be perceived as a ministry of image, glamour and discussion of high policy among nations. Frankly, as things stand today, this country just cannot afford to have the Foreign Ministry do just that.

In a post-EU membership environment, in a world where globalisation has permeated every aspect of our lives, Malta needs to muster all its forces and have them work together, cost-effectively and compactly, in a sharply focused manner, to address the challenges of change, to create wealth, to take this country forward into the next decade.

In this exercise, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a central role. This is a ministry which has reach, through its network of embassies and consulates. It is a ministry which lies at the heart of Malta's participation within the institutions of the EU, making a contribution to European policy, taking positions, debating and ensuring that Malta establishes a reputation of being a solid, serious, committed member state which defends its legitimate interests as a small state while being a trusted team-player. A country which furthers the Mediterranean dimension within the EU while, at the same time, strengthening the EU's presence in the Mediterranean region.

This is the theme of the Foreign Ministry's high level meeting currently underway at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. High officials of the ministry, including resident ambassadors, are today collectively debating Malta's strategic objectives for Malta's foreign policy now that Malta is a member state of the EU.

Following a method which was successfully adopted in the European Convention (drafting the EU's constitution), participants have been invited to consider a number of questions, in addressing this topic, including how to add to Malta's political relevance, how to translate that relevance into greater prosperity and security for our people, whether our foreign policy should always be conditioned by Malta's geographical position, how to best contribute to attract investment and stimulate economic growth, whether fostering cultural awareness should also feature in foreign policy objectives.

The questions, summarised here, are meant to take the discussion to its full breath and depth, showing that foreign affairs is intimately related to our economic growth, to our political relevance, to our success as a nation-state.

The most difficult thing for me to do is to resist putting my own answers to the questions. I have my own thoughts on them, of course. But now is a time to listen and to listen attentively and objectively to what others have to say. The high officials of the ministry are the starting point of a consultative process that will be taken further to include non-resident ambassadors, "old grandees" of the diplomatic service and of foreign affairs, the Maltese diplomatic corps as a whole, the Foreign and European Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, the business community, specialists, advisors and others.

Of course, in the end, the decisions - and the responsibility for them - will lie with the government. Some of these consultations will, inevitably, have to be electronic while others can easily be carried out on a personal basis. Comments and contributions by the general public, by opinion-makers, by journalistic commentators are greatly welcome and appreciated, as I greatly appreciated Frank Salt's ideas in a recent edition of the Times.

This exercise will allow us to have a focused view of our strategic objectives which also should, in my view, take into account the 10 areas of focus laid out by the Prime Minister in one of this earliest speeches. Once we have these targets in focus, then everything else must follow. Our international networks must be trimmed and/or developed to enable us to meet our set objectives. The ministry structures, including our embassy and consulate network, must be reorganised to ensure that the set objectives are achieved. The information flow in this network needs to be two-way, indeed multiple: the embassies and consulates and the "central" ministry must form part of one tightly-knit structure. The less resources we have the more we must maximise them, ensuring that we give the Maltese taxpayer value for money in all our work.

Malta's first years as a member of the EU will be defining times. If we - collectively - get it right, we will not only be successfully achieving our tasks and immediate benefits for our people, we will also be setting the right course for our beloved country's future.

Dr Frendo is Minister of Foreign Affairs.