1 comment.An Embassy of Malta in Ottawa…… When? Why not?
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“I remember vividly when nearly 35 years ago, on October 3, 1985, former Consul General of Malta, at the time honorary, John P. Pisani issued a press release to all clubs and Maltese organisations in Canada stating that the former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Alex Sciberras Trigona appointed him Consul General with jurisdiction over the whole territory of Canada.
I recently found the press release while flipping through the pages of the November-December 1985 issue of the Maltese Canadian Club of London Newsletter here in Toronto.
Canada is home to the second largest Maltese community outside Malta and yet the Maltese Government representation is limited to a Consulate General in Toronto and just four honorary consuls in some provinces, which cater for thousands of Maltese throughout this vast country and a Malta Ambassador to Canada in Washington DC.
The latter representation, for a number of Canadian Members of Parliament I knew and spoke with over the years with, is nothing but an insult for a great country such as Canada to be represented from the United States.
Why hasn’t the Government of Malta ever considered opening an Embassy in Ottawa? When in Australia where the largest Maltese communities outside of Malta live, there is a fully staffed Embassy in Canberra, a Consul General in Sydney and another in Melbourne and a number of honorary consuls in the other Australian States.
In the United States, where there are less Maltese than in Canada, there is an Ambassador and Consul in the Washington D.C., an Ambassador in New York and Consul General in New York and more than a dozen honorary consuls in a number of American states.
Having worked as a journalist and programme producer of the only Maltese TV programme in Maltese in Canada for over 30 years, Lehen Malti TV programme and after speaking to a number of my fellow Maltese-Canadians veterans we are committed to seek the answer to this decades-old question – why don’t subsequent Maltese Governments since 1985 did not consider opening an Embassy in Ottawa?
Maltese-Canadians should not be treated less then Maltese elsewhere, we deserve diplomatic representation present in Ottawa!”
Frank Attard,
Ottawa.
Frank there is no gain for the government of Malta to open shop in Ottawa if there was it would have been opened long time ago. Just keep the faith maybe one day it will happen, its all about the money not representation .