The only way to cope with the many global and regional challenges we are facing is to put our acts together, says Brigitte Curmi, Ambassador of France to Malta.

During your term as Ambassador of France to Malta, what would you consider to have been your main achievements?

When I was assigned to Malta in the summer of 2018, I was very pleased to be posted in the heart of the Mediterranean, in this beautiful historical country bridging the two shores of our shared sea. After three years, I am happy to say that we were able to do a lot of things together in different fields.

No less than six ministers and President Emmanuel Macron visited Malta during my stay. Given the geostrategic position of Malta and our common belonging to the EU, we have indeed many reasons to consult each other regularly on different topics, such as the future of Europe, Libya, migration and European and Mediterranean policies.

I will come to economic diplomacy afterwards, but let me give some examples of what we were able to achieve together.

On migration, my country was, is and will stay by Malta’s side, to help with relocating migrants arriving in Malta and eligible for asylum. Almost 600 migrants were relocated to France during my stay. At the European level, we are working hand-in-hand with the Maltese authorities to build a system whereby migration issues can be dealt with in full dignity, responsibility and solidarity.

Apart from our regular political consultations, our two countries concluded a comprehensive diplomatic agreement in 2018. I am very pleased to have organised many events within this framework.

During my stay, seasoned experts visited Malta to share their insights on, multilateralism, religious diplomacy and migration. We also organised a passionate symposium with the Maltese Presidency on French-Maltese relationship called ‘Shared Histories; New Visions,’ gathering the best experts of our two countries to revisit our past in order to build a better future together. Both parties showed interesting archival pieces on this occasion.

Malta stood by us at the beginning of the crisis and helped repatriate a thousand French tourists stranded in Malta. We will not forget this gesture

We strengthened our cooperation in the field of security and justice. At the same time, we made a point of regularly reaching out to the civil society organisations working on the rule of law, human rights, migration and diversity.

I am proud to have signed an agreement with the MEDAC and to have developed numerous collaborations with the venerable University of Malta.

We were also able to strongly support the work of the Alliance Française de Malte Méditerranée, a very important body Malta can refer to and work with, since Malta became an observer to the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie in 2018.

Last but not least, I am concluding my stay in Malta with a beautiful cultural season called ‘Respir(e)’, celebrating the return to a more normal life after the difficult times we went through during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic.

And what has Malta – and its people – given you?

A lot! Indeed, the list is very long. I discovered a fantastic mix of history and diversity, beautiful landscapes – unfortunately endangered by overdevelopment – and fascinating people with solid traditions and, at the same time, very clever at connecting with all the parts of the world. As one of my dear Maltese friends puts it, it’s a wonderful ‘laboratory’ to live in and you never get bored.

This past year has been a struggle on all fronts. How has the coronavirus pandemic affected French-Maltese relations?

The pandemic has even further strengthened our relations. First, Malta stood by us at the beginning of the crisis and helped repatriate a thousand French tourists stranded in Malta. We will not forget this gesture. Furthermore, we developed a very fluid relationship with the whole Maltese administration and different institutions, allowing us to reach each other even better than before the pandemic. Of course, it’s always better to meet in person, but the internet agility in Malta helped us a lot.

We developed very strong relations with the health sector during the pandemic, through regular and fruitful exchanges with the health superintendence and with the Mater Dei team. I can also mention an interesting session of shared experiences in the midst of the pandemic between Mater Dei doctors and those of the University Hospital Centre of Angers.

Furthermore, I think the pandemic helped us realise that Europe is more necessary than ever. As Deputy Prime M and Health Minister Chris Fearne put it in recent interviews, nothing would have been possible in terms of vaccination without the collective efforts Europe put in research and production. This is really a breakthrough, and our solidarity is the only way to come out of this crisis.

Europe is our best asset to gain sovereignty, notably in the economic field

From a business perspective, how can the two countries collaborate further, especially in areas such as alternative mobility, energy and research, where France is a leader?

First of all, let me take this occasion to thank the Maltese-French Chamber of Commerce and its president, Joseph Bugeja, for the excellent work we are doing together for the business community of our two countries.

France is a staunch supporter of the European green deal, which is one of the priorities we will focus on for our next presidency of the EU. It is with that in mind that we recently organised two webinars on smart mobility in Malta, putting important French business clusters in direct contact with Maltese stakeholders. Our business body, Business France – based in Milan – will follow the process and help French companies match the Maltese needs in this field. My country will be more than happy to contribute to a greener Malta – and e-mobility is a priority in this context.

France will assume Council of Europe Presidency in January 2022. What will this represent, also in view of Europe’s recovery from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic?

We all have had an extraordinarily difficult time with the pandemic, but we also learnt a lot of lessons for the future. On the eve of the French EU presidency, we believe that the only way to cope with the many global and regional challenges we are facing is to put our acts together. In this context, Europe is our best asset to gain sovereignty, notably in the economic field, which does not mean any exclusion of other international stakeholders. On the contrary, France is a firm supporter of multilateralism and international cooperation. We also need to be more resilient, especially in the digital sector, to protect our rights and freedom, notwithstanding the defence of our values. Last but not least, we need to promote a sustainable and greener continent through progress with the green deal. I am confident that Malta and France will remain very close partners in all those fields.

After your term as Ambassador of France to Malta, what is next for you? And what advice, on Malta, would you give to your successor?

After two years in Libya and Tunisia and three years in Malta, it’s now time to return to the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs in Paris.

The best advice I can give to my successor is to enjoy Malta and the Maltese, and their capacity to be a bridge between the two shores of the Mediterranean. I can’t think of a better place to grasp what is at stake in the Mediterranean, and to act together as two European countries to contribute to the stability of this tumultuous region.