India-Malta tie-up gets big boost: Talks cover defence, trade, and tech expansion

The issues were discussed during the  4th Round of Foreign Office Consultations in Valletta, Malta, on March 27.

The FOCs were co-chaired by Ambassador Sibi George, Secretary(West) from the Indian side and Christopher Cutajar, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the Maltese side.

"During the visit, Secretary (West) called on H.E. Dr. Ian Borg, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malta. They discussed avenues to strengthen the ongoing cooperation between India and Malta while also broadening the scope of bilateral engagement. Secretary (West) also met Brigadier Clinton J O' Neill, Commander of the Armed Forces of Malta and they discussed ways to increase bilateral defence and security cooperation," the MEA said in a statement.

In the consultations, both sides reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction at the steady progress in India-Malta ties, marked by the milestone of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2025.

They welcomed the recent upswing in the bilateral engagements marked by high-level visits.

The discussions focused on areas of cooperation such as trade and investments, tourism, technology and innovation, maritime sector and cooperation in educational and cultural fields.

Both sides also discussed ways of deepening economic and commercial relations, particularly in the light of the recently concluded India-EU Free Trade Agreement. They agreed to take forward cooperation in sectors such as ICT, healthcare, renewable energy, pharmaceuticals and education.

Both sides exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest and agreed to continue their cooperation in the multilateral domain.