Il-Ministru George Vella jiltaqa' mal-Ministru ta' l-Affarijiet Barranin tal-Germanja

Il-Ministru ta' l-Affarijiet Barranin u ta' l-Ambjent, it-Tabib George W. Vella, il-bierah kellu laqghat fil-Parlament Germaniz u fil-Ministeru ta' l-Affarijiet Barranin Germaniz f'Bonn.

Il-Ministru Vella kellu laqgha twila mas-Segretarju ta' l-Istat fl-Ufficcju Federali ta' l-Affarijiet Barranin, Dr Hans Friedrich von Ploetz, li fiha ddiskutew ir-relazzjonijiet bilaterali ta' bejn iz-zewg pajjizi u l-ahhar zviluppi fir-relazzjonijiet bejn Malta u l-Unjoni Ewropea. Huma ddiskutew ukoll is-sitwazzjoni fil-Mediterran, il-Lvant Nofsani u il-process EwroMediterranju.

Fil-laqgha li kellu ma' Dr Klaus Kinkel, il-Ministru Vella, iddiskuta il-mod kif qeghdin jizviluppaw ir-relazzjonijiet bejn Malta u l-Unjoni Ewropea , kif ukoll l-investiment u t-turizmu Germaniz f'Malta.

Iz-zewg Ministri ftehmu li jkomplu d-diskussjonijiet taghhom f'Palermo, f'Gunju li gej, meta se ssir il-laqgha dwar il-process EwroMediterranju, bi thejjija ghat-tielet laqgha ta' dan il-process li trid issir il-Germanja fl-1999.

Fl-ahhar tal-laqgha il-Ministeru ta' l-Affarijiet Barranin Germaniz hareg press communique li kopja taghha qieghda tigi annessa ma' din l-istqarrija.

Unofficial Translation

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Press Office Tel 17-20 59
Fax 17 35 24

Thursday, 23 April 1998

224/98

Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs Kinkel has met today (23/04/98) in Bonn the Maltese Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr George Vella for an exchange of ideas.

The talks centred around the good relations between Germany and Malta as well as the relations between the EU and Malta. Federal Minister Kinkel underlined that the EU respects Malta's decision to suspend its application for membership. The two Ministers welcomed the progress in the extension of relations between the EU and Malta short of membership on the basis of the Association Agreement. Coming Tuesday the next meeting of the Council of Association EU-Malta will take place.

Federal Minister Kinkel underlined the importance of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership and acknowledged Malta's active part in the dialogue between the EU and its Mediterranean partners, the so-called "Barcelona Process". After the take-off of this co-operation in 1995 in Barcelona the second ministerial meeting took place in 1997 in Malta. The third one will be held in 1999 in Germany.

Federal Minister Kinkel said "The Extension of the relations with the Mediterranean partners is of high importance to Germany. This is the reason for having offered to host the third EU-Mediterranean conference in 1999 in Germany."

The two Ministers stressed the good economic relations between Germany and Malta. German companies employ more than 3000 persons and the more than 200,000 German tourists every year make up the second largest group of guests in that country. The two Ministers underlined the importance of the double taxation agreement between Germany and Malta to be concluded shortly.

Foreign Minister Vella, who has been in Germany from 22 to 23 April 1998, has also participated in the "Malta Week" in Hamburg besides meeting with Federal Minister Kinkel.