1. With this year marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and Malta, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs successfully held celebratory events in Malta on July 5-6 amid the active participation of the private and public sectors of the two countries. The events included cultural performances, a business forum, and a reception.

2. On July 5, the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company presented its representative performance “Bul-Ssang” at the Mediterranean Conference Center, Malta’s largest concert hall in Valletta, the capital of Malta, eliciting cheers from the impressed Maltese audience and receiving five curtain calls.

o Participants from the ROK side included Ambassador to Italy Lee Yong-joon and some 50 Koreans in Italy, including businessmen and representatives from the Korean community. From the Maltese side, about 800 people participated in the event, including the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Foreign Minister, Ambassador Mark Spiteri in charge of ROK-related affairs, and citizens.

3. On July 6, a business forum on creative economy between the ROK and Malta took place at the Malta Enterprise to explore ways to trade and invest in a creative manner. The forum, co-hosted by the ROK Embassy in Italy, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), and the Malta Enterprise, brought together about 60 people, including Minister for Economy, Investment and Small Business Christian Cardona, Ambassador Lee Yong-joon, and businessmen from the two countries.

o Participants from the ROK side included representatives from ten Korean companies and branch offices in Rome and Milan of Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Hanjin Shipping, Hyosung Corporation, LG Electronics, and Daewon Digitech. Participants from the Maltese side included those from 29 companies in the fields of aviation, shipping, electronics, construction, and fashion design.

4. After attending the business forum, Ambassador Lee Yong-joon and Korean businessmen paid a courtesy call on Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat on July 6. The two sides agreed to work together to find ways to increase more substantive cooperation between companies of the two countries, drawing upon the outcome of the business forum.

o Prime Minister Muscat stated that despite the eurozone crisis, Malta had shown continued growth, recording the highest growth rate among EU member states. He also offered to maximize the potential for the development of bilateral relations through efforts toward creative and substantive cooperation between the governments and companies of the two countries.

5. On the evening of July 6, a reception to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations was hosted by the ROK Embassy at the Mediterranean Conference Center. It brought together some 100 people, including the Maltese Foreign Minister, the Ambassadors to Malta from major countries, and figures from the economic and culture sectors of the two countries.


*unofficial translation