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Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela Before Their Meeting [ https://www.state.gov/secretary-antony-j-blinken-and-maltese-prime-minister-robert-abela-before-their-meeting/ ] 12/04/2024 03:38 PM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Valletta, Malta
Auberge de Castille
*PRIME MINISTER ABELA:*  So Secretary Blinken, first of all, thank you for being here.  It is indeed a great pleasure to welcome you to Malta.  Your visit here reflects the enduring and robust ties between our two nations, rooted in shared values and mutual respect, and the respect also that we have for fundamental human rights.
Under the administration of President Biden, our cooperation has reached new heights, reaffirming our mutual commitment to promoting peace, security, and the principles of democracy, rule of law as well, and human rights, as I have already just mentioned.  These values remain at the core of our enduring partnership.  Whilst we wish we could have achieved more during our time on the United Nations Security Council, we are very proud of the opportunities we have had to collaborate and support each other’s efforts, as we have discussed earlier at my office.  The United States’ unwavering backing of Malta’s role as chairperson-in-office of the OSCE has been invaluable, strengthening our collective ability to address regional security challenges and advance conflict resolution as well.
The partnership between Malta and the United States extends well beyond government relations, thriving on vibrant people-to-people connections, dynamic business collaborations, and cultural exchanges that deepen our bond, with approximately 246,000 Maltese or of Maltese descent residing in the U.S., the third largest Maltese diaspora globally, concentrated in New York, Michigan, San Francisco, and Florida.  Our shared heritage further strengthens this relationship.
Of course, Malta is eager to expand mutually beneficial economic ties by fostering deeper cooperation in key sectors such as advanced manufacturing, AI, film, ICT and digital communication, health, education, and the pharmaceutical and medical devices industries.
Malta hosts several U.S. companies locally, operating across various sectors.  U.S. FDI in Malta amounted to approximately $2.34 billion in 2021; today it has increased further.  Key investments include the Malta Drone Centre, Crane Currency, Baxter, Cardinal Health, and others also.  Tourism, which is of course very important economically for us, represents significant opportunities, particularly in niche markets.  Inward flows are back to pre-pandemic levels – we’re very happy for that – offering mutual benefits, especially in the cruise line industry.
Together we are addressing global challenges, and we’re very happy for that, from ensuring stability and security to fostering prosperity and resilience.  As we approach the final period of your tenure, I look forward to further exchanges and also to continue taking this relationship forward.  Thank you indeed once again for being here.
*SECRETARY BLINKEN :*  Well, Prime Minister Abela, colleagues, thank you so much.  Thank you, first of all, for your extraordinary hospitality.  But even more than that, thank you for the friendship, the partnership, that we’ve built between Malta and the United States.  And I have to say, Prime Minister, it’s been extraordinary what Malta has done with the OSCE, stepping in, really, pretty much at the last minute to take on the chairmanship-in-office, and not only to take it on, but to do it so well in a very challenging time.  We gather here, thanks to you, thanks to your team, and I’m hopeful and confident that we can carry the work of the OSCE forward.  That would not be the case had Malta not stepped up.
And similarly, we’ve been grateful for our collaboration on the United Nations Security Council.  And the fact that you’ve taken on both of these assignments at the same time I think speaks volumes.  And as you put it, our own partnership between the United States and Malta has only grown stronger and grown deeper, and I’m determined that that continue.  And certainly I’m going to commend that to our successors.
You mentioned foreign direct investment and how that’s increased.  I think that’s a very important measure because you only get that investment when there’s trust and when there’s confidence, because people have to have that confidence in the future.  So I think that, in and of itself, is a very strong indicator.
But to you, to all of your team, thank you again for the leadership that you’ve shown, the partnership you’ve shown, and the friendship that we have.  We look forward to building on it over the next day.  Thank you.**
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