PRESS RELEASE BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPEAKER Speaker of the House of Representatives meets outgoing Italian Ambassador Fabrizio Romano

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Anġlu Farrugia, held a farewell meeting today with the outgoing Ambassador of the Republic of Italy to Malta, Fabrizio Romano, whose term comes to an end on 4 June 2025.

During the cordial meeting, Speaker Farrugia thanked Ambassador Romano for his dedication in further strengthening the already excellent bilateral relations between Malta and Italy. He highlighted the longstanding ties between the two nations, rooted in shared history, culture, and geographic proximity, and reaffirmed Malta's continued commitment to deepen collaboration with Italy across multiple sectors.

Speaker Farrugia noted that since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1964, the two countries have enjoyed dynamic cooperation, reflected through frequent high-level exchanges, cultural initiatives, and growing people-to-people connections.

The discussion also covered a wide range of shared priorities, including trade and investment, air and maritime connectivity, educational exchanges, and vibrant cultural diplomacy — particularly Italy's active participation in initiatives such as the Malta Arts Biennale and various bilateral cultural agreements.

Speaker Farrugia further underlined Malta's current Presidency of the Council of Europe and its commitment to core European values including human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. He thanked Ambassador Romano for his cooperation in multilateral fora and expressed Malta's eagerness to continue working closely with Italy in this context.

The meeting concluded with mutual appreciation for the strong and friendly relations between the two countries, and with Speaker Anġlu Farrugia extending his best wishes to Ambassador Romano in his future endeavours.