Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion Carmelo Abela opened the ninth annual meeting of the Council for Maltese Living Abroad. In his opening speech, Minister Abela welcomed the members of the council and said that, “this council is an opportunity for renewal. It does not mean that we are judgmental on the past, in this world if we don’t change and renew, we risk being outdated”.
The council is composed of 15 members with the Minister for Foreign Affairs as ex officio chairperson. This year sees the inclusion of 12 new members which will replace those who could not be reappointed as they have completed their two terms of office, as stipulated by law. The new Council is age and gender balanced, with almost half of the members—7 out of a total of 15—being female, while also having a list that includes second generation migrants.
Minister Abela addressed the new council by saying that their new apointment by the Prime Minister shows an act of trust and means that they are ready to shoulder the responsibility to represent the Maltese diaspora. “We are discussing people who live in different parts of the world. We can have some intriguing discussions to find ways and means of how to work together not only as council members, but with others especially those of a younger generation. The challenge is to make other people interested in our country.”
Carmelo Abela made reference to the fact that in this year’s edition of the council there will be discussions regarding the possibility of establishing regional committees so that a greater number of Maltese living abroad will have the opportunity to participate actively in initiatives relating to the Maltese diaspora. “The future of our diaspora should be a major challenge and it also brings opportunities in different areas such as business, culture and education.”
The Council for Maltese Living Abroad was established by means of Act XX of 2011 and is composed of representatives of Maltese communities and others with the aim of promoting the rights and interests of Maltese living abroad, as well as to strenghten further the relations with the Maltese who live abroad, including the new generations. The council convenes once a year in Malta.
The meeting is charecterised by discussions, proposals, recommendations and decisions on various issues affecting Maltese communities abroad. These proposals, recommendations and decisions serve as a basis for the Directorate for Maltese Living Abroad within the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion in conjunction with government line ministries, departments and agencies.
