Muscat calls for closer business links between Malta and Lebanon

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat called for improved synergy between Maltese and Lebanese businesses.

“The current level of business relationships between the two countries is disappointing, particularly in light of the fact that Malta and Lebanon are both Mediterranean countries that share similar aspirations,” Muscat told a business forum in Beirut, that was jointly organised by the Maltese and Lebanese chambers of commerce.

“The Mediterranean is a sea of turmoil, and it is only through regional peace that we can solve our problems and attract more wealth to our countries,” he said. “Malta is a safe and stable jurisdiction whose door is open to African businesses, particularly those from North Africa.”

The forum was attended by Lebanese and Maltese businesspeople, along with economy minister Chris Cardona, tourism minister Edward Zammit Lewis and foreign minister George Vella.

Vella later held talks with Lebanese foreign minister Gebran Bassil, that mainly focused on the civil wars in Syria and Libya. 

Vella commended Lebanon’s action to providing assistance to refugees from Syria and expressed Malta’s readiness to support international initiatives that assist the country in resolving the resulting challenges.

He outlined the potential between Malta and Lebanon in the commercial and services fields, and said that the two countries could play a crucial role in bringing stability to their respective regions.

Vella added that Malta continue to fully support closer EU-Lebanon relations.