Malta’s network of Honorary Consuls and External Consultants in Italy were called in for a one-day seminar held in Rome on Saturday during which they were briefed about the latest economic developments in the country and provided valuable information they could use to promote trade and investment opportunities between Italy and Malta.

The seminar, which was jointly organised by the Embassy of Malta in Italy and Malta Enterprise, also focused on other tasks that the Consuls could work on in Italy, such as that of developing contacts or generating business leads that would then be followed by Malta Enterprise’s officials, among whom the Regional Leader for the Italian market.

After being welcomed by Malta’s Ambassador in Italy Carmel Inguanez, the Consuls were then addressed by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Tonio Borg, who spoke about the long history of cooperation between Malta and Italy and the strong and sustainable bilateral relations.

Dr Borg also encouraged the Consuls to be more pro-active in their work and to be on the lookout for any potential opportunities.

Malta Enterprise’s executive chairman Alan Camilleri then delivered a presentation in which he gave details of the current business environment in Malta. He also explained how the Consuls are in a privileged position and can be the first point of contact for other entrepreneurs wishing to explore more business opportunities Malta.

Mr Camilleri also called on the Consuls to alert Malta Enterprise of any business prospects arising from the latest developments in the country, to collaborate more closely, and to open doors with entities or companies in Italy for Malta Enterprise’s officials to promote Malta’s offering.

He noted that while Italy is already one of Malta’s major business partners, not only in terms of trade – with over €1.1 billion worth of goods being imported already in 2011 and almost €128.8 million exported to Italy – but also in terms of investment from both countries into each other, there could always be room for stronger commercial ties and the Consuls’ contribution could be very valuable in this regards.

The Consuls were also addressed by the Dean of Malta’s Honorary Consuls in Italy Michele Di Gianni, representatives of the Malta Tourism Authority, Dr Juliana Scerri Ferrante from the Italo-Maltese Chamber of Commerce in Latina, and Ambassador Leslie Agius. The latter, who is also an adviser to the Consuls, discussed the challenges and difficulties being faced by the Consuls in their work as well as possible improvements that could be made.

The seminar also served as an opportunity for the Consuls to meet and familiarize themselves with Malta’s Ambassador in Italy Carmel Inguanez and Malta Enterprise’s Regional Leader in Italy Enrico Federici, who both took office in recent months.

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