President Abela’s first State Visit since China injury

President George Abela left Malta early this afternoon on a State Visit to the State of Montenegro. This was Abela’s fist state visit to a foreign county since his ill-fated visit to the China Expo, where on 30 April 2010 he suffered a hairline crack before leaving his hotel in the morning.

20 July 2010, 12:00am
by Charlot Zahra

1 min read

Abela would be accompanied by Maltese Foreign Affairs’ Minister Tonio Borg, and Richard Cachia Caruana, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative to the European Union (EU).

During this State Visit, Abela would hold talks Montenegran President Filip Vujanovic and Prime Minister Milo Dukanovic.

A delegation of high officials representing Maltese institutions was accompanying the President on this State Visit.

Former speaker Anton Tabone had been appointed Acting President in the meantime.

Abela was expected to return to Malta on Friday, 23 July 2010.

Three months ago, Abela had been admitted to Ruijin Hospital, where he had been diagnosed as suffering from an incomplete fracture of his second lumbar transverse process, combined with bruising in his left chest and the soft tissue of his waist.

In fact, he had to cancel his presence at the official inauguration of the Shanghai Expo 2010, with Foreign Affairs Minister Tonio Borg having to attend instead.

Abela and his delegation had to be brought back to Malta in an air ambulance on 3am (Maltese time) on Monday 3 May 2010 after he had injured his back in a fall the previous Friday.

The aircraft, provided by the Chinese government, arrived at Malta at 4pm the same day.