President of Malta Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca addressed the Malta-UAE Business Forum, organised by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as part of her working visit in the United Arab Emirates.
The President lauded the strong bilateral relations between Malta and the UAE and highlighted the similarities and synergies that the two countries share as trade and maritime hubs for their respective regions.
President Coleiro Preca said that the UAE’s position as a hub in the Middle East and Malta as a geo-strategic hub in the Euro-Mediterranean Region make both countries ideal collaborators and not competitors, paving the way for effective synergies.
“By working in synergy, not only will the business and social sectors of Malta and the UAE flourish, but our markets will also continue to grow in the best interests of our peoples. Now is the right time for us to move forward, to continue to create inclusive prosperity for our peoples”, the President said.
The President explained that her visit to the UAE has further convinced her of the need to build on these synergies and work closer together with key public and private sector stakeholders in the UAE to explore untapped potential and bilateral business opportunities.
Lastly, President Coleiro Preca proposed the setting up of Joint Technical Commission on Trade, so this can continue to explore and identify the areas in which both Malta and UAE can collaborate.
The President held bilateral talks with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi. During the meeting, the two sides reviewed bilateral ties between the UAE and Malta and discussed possibilities to expand cooperation across several sectors, including business and investment ties.
The President was accompanied by Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Ian Borg, Parliamentary Secretary for Planning and the Property Market Chris Agius and Mr Sandro Chetcuti, Chairman of the Property Malta Foundation, together with Mr Anthony Tabone, Consul General, and Mr Duncan Psaila, Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of Malta in Abu Dhabi.