British High Commissioner Stuart Gill presents credentials

by Gozo News · September 1, 2016

The British High Commissioner for Malta Stuart Gill presented his Letter of Credentials to the President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca on Thursday.

During the meeting the President and the High Commissioner discussed the breadth of the bilateral relationship, their commitment to develop this further, and the importance of friendship between the two countries.

Following the meeting, the High Commissioner commented, "I am honoured to take up this posting leading the British High Commission in Malta. It is a great privilege to represent the United Kingdom in a country with whom our bilateral and multilateral partnerships are historic, strategic and growing."

He added, "I look forward to supporting this strong and durable relationship, and to working with the Maltese government on the range of global challenges that we collectively face. We need to look not just to our long shared history but to a long shared future."

The High Commissioner concluded by saying, "on a personal note, I am delighted to be here in Malta and very grateful to all those who have given me such a warm welcome and helped me to settle in. I know I will enjoy working and living in this very special country."

Mr Stuart Gill has been appointed British High Commissioner for Malta in succession to Mr Rob Luke. He joined the FCO in 1994 and was most recently Her Majesty's Ambassador to Iceland. Previous postings include Brussels, Chicago and Melbourne.

Stuart William Gill, began his career in the UK Government's Department for Trade and Industry, before moving to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1994.

Between 1994 and 1998, he ran the Government's Inward Investment operations in the British Consulate-General in Chicago, USA, covering the Midwest and Southern US states, encouraging US companies to set up operations in the UK.

In 1998, he moved to the UK's Permanent Representation to the European Union in Brussels, where he led negotiations on the completion of the EU's Single Market.

Returning to London in 2002, Stuart was responsible for transatlantic trade issues before heading up a team dealing with the EU's relations with the Americas and Asia. During the UK Presidency of the EU in 2005, he chaired the EU's committee on EU-US relations.

High Commissioner Stuart William Gill, was appointed Deputy Head of Far Eastern Group in the Asia-Pacific Directorate of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in September 2006, covering the UK's relations with China, DPRK, the Republic of Korea, Japan and Mongolia.

From 2008 to 2012, he was Consul-General in Melbourne, Australia, where he had consular and commercial responsibility for Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.

Stuart William Gill was Her Majesty's Ambassador to the Republic of Iceland from October 2012 to August 2016.

Stuart William Gill graduated from the University of Kent, Canterbury, in 1980, with a degree in Politics and Government and he is the author of one published book on the Second World War. His UK home is in Kent, England. High Commissioner Gill is married and has two daughters, Elizabeth and Claire.