malta high commission - foreignandeu.gov.mt documents/hcl newsletter issue 2... · in a letter to...

On the social level we are inex-

tricably linked through social

ties created by Maltese and

British migrants over the years.

The familiar ties of Maltese mi-

grants have always remained

strong as has the bond to their

motherland and I look forward

to further strengthening the

social and cultural ties between

the two countries.

Maltese-British relations are

active and well in all spheres. I

am confident that by continuing

to work together in a spirit of

cooperation and goodwill we

can achieve much more. I look

forward to your contribution in

strengthening the existing rela-

tions between our two coun-

tries

Malta enjoys a long-standing,

healthy and vibrant relationship

with the United Kingdom on a

number of levels. The official

talks with Prime Minister David

Ca meron con t i nued to

strengthen this existing relation-

ship.

On the political front, the spirit

of cooperation has always been

positive not only bilaterally but

also at a European level. Malta‘s

role in the North African crisis

particularly in offering support

to Britain and evacuation mis-

sions was highlighted and talks

centred on the way forward to

further solidify cooperation.

Malta‘s trade relations with the

UK are robust. The number of

British firms participating in the

Maltese economy has always

been significant and Govern-

ment believes that our country

has the potential to attract high

quality investment from the

United Kingdom. The expan-

sion of the financial industry in

Malta provides an opportunity

for further growth in this sector

and it was a privilege for me to

share my thoughts with leading

Maltese financial practitioners

during my visit.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi

visited London on 9 and 10 May

2011 at the invitation of the Brit-

ish Prime Minister David Camer-

on.

The delegation with the Prime

Minister included the Deputy

Prime Minister and Minister of

Foreign Affairs the Hon Tonio

Borg, the Permanent Representa-

tive of Malta to the EU Ambassa-

dor Richard Cachia Caruana and

the Prime Minister‘s Head of

Secretariat Edgar Galea Curmi.

The High Commissioner of Malta

in the UK Joseph Zammit Tabona

accompanied the delegation

throughout the visit.

Prime Minister Gonzi had sepa-

rate meetings with Prime Minis-

ter David Cameron and Foreign

Secretary William Hague.

Prime Minister Cameron greeted

Prime Minister Gonzi outside No

10, Downing Street ahead of

their meeting. Both Prime Minis-

ters were very pleased with the

outcome of their discussions

which further strengthened the

relations between the two coun-

tries. The main issues discussed

during this meeting were illegal

immigration, North Africa, the

EU, commercial and bilateral

relations.

Message from the Prime Minister

Prime Minister Gonzi on an official visit to London

Malta High Commission London

J U N E 2 0 1 1 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 2

I N T H I S

I S S U E :

Message from

the Prime Minis-

ter of Malta

Prime Minister

Gonzi on official

visit to London

High Commis-

sioner attends

the Royal Wed-

ding

Prominent Mal-

tese: The Rt Hon

The Lord Chief

Justice

Prime Minister

meets Maltese

Professionals

Royal Watercol-

our Society in

Malta

Malta Business

Networking

Corinthia Hotel

opens in London

Trooping the

Colour 2011

Jazz and Wine

Evening

Imnarja Celebra-

tions

The International

Spring Fair

Forthcoming

events

P A G E 2

The High

Commissioner

remarked it was

truly an honour to

represent the

Government and

People of Malta

at the Royal

Wedding

High Commissioner attends the Royal Wedding

The High Commis-

sioner of Malta in

the UK was the Mal-

tese representative

at the Royal Wed-

ding of Prince Wil-

liam to Miss Cathe-

rine Middleton on

Friday 29 April 2011.

About two months‘

ago, the Marshal of

the Diplomatic

Corps from Bucking-

ham Palace and the

Director of Protocol

from the Foreign and Com-

monwealth Office had in-

formed the High Commis-

sioner he was on the guest

list to the Wedding Service

at Westminster Abbey. A

few weeks later the High

Commissioner received the

official invitation from Her

Majesty The Queen – which

the High Commissioner was

honoured to accept.

After the service at West-

minster Abbey, High Com-

missioners and Ambassa-

dors were invited to a recep-

tion at Lancaster House to

watch the Royal couple‘s

balcony appearance on big

screens and the fly-past from

the garden of Lancaster

House, next door to Clar-

ence House, the residence of

Prince Charles and his sons,

Prince William and Prince

Harry. This reception was

hosted by the First Secretary

of State and Secretary of

State for Foreign and Com-

monwealth Affairs , William

Hague and attended by many

distinguished guests, including

the Chancellor of the Ex-

chequer, George Osborne.

Although the Royal Couple

had set up a charitable gift

fund for those wishing to

donate to charity, the High

Commissioner chose to pre-

sent the couple with a gift

that was more personal and

representative of Malta - a

Maltese silver coffee pot.

In a letter to accompany the

gift, High Commissioner

Zammit Tabona conveyed

‗sincere and heartfelt wishes

of congratulations‘. He wrote

‗I am confident that this joyful

occasion will provide an op-

portunity to enhance the

relationship and to reaffirm

the deep historic affections

shared between the People

of Malta and the Royal Fami-

ly‘.

The High Commissioner re-

marked it was truly an hon-

our to represent the Gov-

ernment and People of Malta

at the Royal Wedding and

added that this was an excep-

tional experience to remem-

ber, cherish and relate to his

grandchildren. He wished

that the newly-weds, the

Duke and Duchess of Cam-

bridge would follow in the

footsteps of Prince William‘s

grandparents, HM The

Queen and Prince Philip, and

visit Malta shortly after their

marriage.

Prominent Maltese in the UK Igor Judge was born in Malta

on 19 May 1941, the son of

Raymond Judge and Rosa

Judge (nee Micallef).

Apart from a short break he

lived in Malta until 1954. He

attended the Sacred Heart

Convent at St Julian‘s and St

Edward‘s College, Cotton-

era.

In England he attended the

Oratory School and Magda-

lene College Cambridge,

where he won an Open Exhi-

bition. He graduated in His-

tory and Law. He was called

to the Bar in 1963. He was

appointed Queen‘s Counsel

in 1979. In 1988 he was ap-

pointed a Justice of the High

Court, Queen‘s Bench Divi-

sion, and he was Knighted. In

1996, he was appointed a

Lord Justice of Appeal, and

sworn of the Privy Coun-

cil. He became Senior Presid-

ing Judge for England and

Wales in 1998, serving for

five years. He then became

Deputy Chief Justice, and in

2005 was appointed the first

President of the Queen‘s

Bench Division. He was ap-

pointed Lord Chief Justice of

England and Wales in 2008

and created a Peer as Lord

Judge.

He is married to Judith. They

have three children and four

grandchildren.

Lord Judge is very proud of

his Maltese heritage. He un-

derstands Maltese and will try

and speak it at every oppor-

tunity.

M A L T A H I G H C O M M I S S I O N

The Rt Hon

The Lord Chief Justice

of

England and Wales

Prime Minister in a Breakfast Meeting with Maltese Professionals in London

P A G E 3 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 2

On 10 May 2011, at a breakfast

meeting in the Ballroom of the Co-

rinthia London the Prime Minister

met and addressed Maltese profes-

sionals working in the financial ser-

vices and other sectors in London.

During his address, the Prime Minis-

ter highlighted the political, social

and economic opportunities and

challenges Malta is facing today.

In 2012 RWS members are delighted

to be celebrating both the Maltese

70th Anniversary of the Awarding of

the George Cross and the Queen's

Diamond Jubilee with shows both at

St.John's Priory in London from 6-20

April and at the Auberge d'Italie in

Valletta 28 May-22 June 2012.

Prior this roadshow the RWS will be

exhibiting paintings of Maltese land-

scape, palaces, gardens and court-

yards at the ‗Showcasing Malta at

Harrods‘ event in March 2012.

Members of the Royal Watercolour

Society (RWS) visited Malta between 9-

19 May and painted en plein air scenes

at the Grandmaster‘s Palace, Valletta,

the Inquisitor‘s Palace in Valletta and

Villa Francia, Mdina and Marsaxlokk

amongst others. When in Malta, they

met with the committee of the Friends

of the National Museum of Fine Arts of

Malta, led by Kenneth Zammit Tabona

Royal Watercolour Society paints in Malta

Malta Business Networking

On 23 June, the newly set up group of Maltese professionals in Lon-

don called ‗Malta Business Networking‘ met up for the third time,

this time for a barbecue at the Residence of the High Commissioner

of Malta and Mrs Zammit Tabona in Kensington, London.

The group met initially at the Malta High Commission in March 2011

and again in May when they were addressed by Dr Lawrence Gonzi,

Prime Minister of Malta at the Corinthia Hotel, London.

Guests of honour at this gathering were Dr Michael Frendo, Speaker

of the House of Representatives of Malta and Dr Joseph Muscat,

Leader of the Opposition.

This group was originally an initiative of High Commissioner Zammit

Tabona and made up of Maltese nationals and those of Maltese origin

who predominantly work in the City as well as in the financial, petroleum, recruitment or hospitality sectors. At this last gathering of

the ‗Malta Business Networking‘, it was agreed to extend membership to representatives of companies that have invested in Malta and

to meet on a quarterly basis.


P A G E 4

Corinthia London

proudly bears

witness to

Maltese

hospitality and

flies the flag of

Malta in the

heart of London

Prime Minister Gonzi also

met with Foreign Secretary

William Hague at his official

residence in Carlton Gar-

dens. At these talks, the

agenda followed on the is-

sues discussed at Downing

Street but also focused on

the EU, particularly the Eco-

nomic, Financial and Social

Policy Dossiers.

Corinthia Hotel opens in London

Prime Minister Gonzi meets Foreign Secretary Hague

journey‖, says general

manager Matthew Dixon.

―Corinthia Hotel London

is an intricately restored

grand hotel with a 21st

century approach. Its

modern elegance is de-

fined by a blend of clas-

sic Victorian architec-

ture with outstanding

craftsmanship and con-

temporary art, mirror-

ing the energy, style and

history of the area.

Guests are offered all

the modern luxuries

whilst enjoying an au-

The Corinthia Hotel Lon-

don opened its doors in

May. Corinthia‘s new flag-

ship is a landmark proper-

ty and joins the ranks of

London‘s finest five star

luxury hotels.

Combining traditional

grandeur with modern

freshness, the redesigned

Victorian destination is

ideally located in the heart

of London, a short walk

from many of the city‘s

major attractions.

―The project marks the

culmination of an exciting

thentic experience in a

hotel and location with

heritage.‖

During his two-day visit in

May the Prime Minister

and his delegation stayed

at the newly opened Co-

rinthia London – a flagship

of Corinthia Hotels

owned by Malta‘s IHI Ltd.

They were shown around

the brand new hotel

which proudly bears wit-

ness to Maltese hospitality

and flies the flag of Malta

in the heart of London.


When in London last

month, Prime Minister

Gonzi also met with For-

eign Secretary William

Hague at his official resi-

dence in Carlton Gardens.

At these talks, the agenda

followed on the issues dis-

cussed at Downing Street

but also focused on the EU,

particularly the Economic,

Financial and Social Policy

Dossiers.

Trooping the Colour 2011


The Queen‘s Official Birthday was this

year celebrated on Saturday 11 June

2011, with the ceremony of Trooping

the Colour on Horseguards Parade,

London.

The British Prime Minister David Cam-

eron invited the High Commissioner of

Malta Joseph Zammit Tabona and Mrs

Susan Zammit Tabona to the state

rooms at 10 Downing Street for Tea

before the Parade. Together with all the

High Commissioners of the Common-

wealth, HE and Mrs Zammit Tabona

proceeded to watch Trooping the Col-

ours from the Prime Minister‘s Stand.

As the clock on the Horseguards Build-

ing struck 11am, the Royal Procession

comprising of Her Majesty The Queen

and His Royal Highness The Duke of

Edinburgh, Colonel Grenadier Guards,

arrived in Queen Victoria‘s 1842 ivory-

mounted phaeton drawn by a pair of

matching grey horses. The Sovereign‘s

Escort, consisting of the troops of the

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

and the Mounted Bands, accompanied

Her Majesty. Upon the arrival of the

Royal Carriage, the Royal Standard was

released and flown from the roof of the

Horse Guards building. Her Majesty and

His Royal Highness received a Royal

Salute, inspected the troops and fol-

lowed the trooping The Colour through

the ranks. Her Majesty The Queen,

together with other members of the

Royal Family, returned to Buckingham

Palace and appeared on the balcony, as

aircraft from the Royal Air Force, in-

cluding the Red Arrows aerobatic dis-

play team, flew past.

After the Parade, the Prime Minister

invited the High Commissioners and

their spouses back to 10 Downing

Street for light refreshments. Prime

Minister Cameron expressed his satis-

faction at the successful meeting with

Prime Minister Gonzi held at Downing

Street last month and assured the High

Commissioner of the strengthening of

the excellent relations already existing

between Malta and the United Kingdom.

drummer Leandro Mancini. BLAM!

Quartet is established on the UK

music scene through the fusion of

original musical compositions, per-

formances at leading jazz clubs and

international festivals such as the

Jersey Jazz Festival, as well as tour-

ing Europe. Prior to his career in

London, Maltese trumpet player,

composer and arranger Alex Bez-

zina played with the Big Band

Brothers in Malta and more recent-

ly was the special guest at the Malta

Philharmonic Orchestra Movie

Spectacular.

The music was accompanied by a

selection of Maltese wines kindly

provided by Emanuel Delicata Winemaker Ltd – one of Malta‘s

leading winemakers. In his address,

High Commissioner Zammit Tabo-

na recognised Delicata as a driving

force behind the renaissance of

Maltese viticulture, having intro-

duced the use of modern grape

growing techniques together with

state of the art winemaking equip-

ment and technology. The selection

of wines were paired with a variety

of nibbles including Maltese

‗ġbejniet and galletti‘ donated by

Consolidated Biscuit Company Ltd

and Malta Dairy Products Ltd.

The evening was well attended by

members of the London diplomatic

corps, other distinguished guests,

members of the Maltese communi-

ty, guests from the financial, musical

and culinary scenes and young Mal-

tese professionals working in Lon-

don.

This event was organised thanks to

the support of PwC Malta, Ernst &

Young, HSBC Bank Malta plc, Lot-

teries and Gaming Authority and

the Malta Stock Exchange plc.

The Malta High Commission organ-

ised an ‗Evening of Jazz and Wine‘ on 10 June 2011 at Europe House, the

seat of the EU Representation in the

UK.

BLAM! Quartet, a London-based jazz

band, was invited to perform at the

event. The group is composed of

Maltese trumpet player and compos-

er Alex Bezzina, German upright

bassist Leon Lissner, Italian pianist

Maria Chiara Argiró and Chilean

Jazz and Wine Evening


P A G E 6

Forthcoming Events

Friends of Malta GC Mass

and Luncheon

23 July 2011

Starts at 12 noon

£17

Lancaster Hall Hotel, 35 Cra-

ven Terrace, Lancaster Gate,

London W2

A Commemoration of the

deceased members of the As-

sociation since it was founded

in Alexandria in 1814. If you‘d

like to attend contact Mr Her-

bert Magri Overend by post,

phone or email:

34 Mills Road

Melksham

Wiltshire SN12 7DT

Tel: 0122 5708 550

E m a i l : H e r b e r t . m a g r i -

[email protected]

by 16 July 2011

George Cross Island Associa-

tion

The Malta National Memorial

London Service of Remem-

brance and Commemoration

15 August 2011

seated by 10.45

All Hallows Church by the Tow-

er, London, EC1

The Service Commemorates

the Sta Maria convoy

(Operation Pedestal) of 15th

August 1942, which lifted the

Siege of Malta, that had lasted

for 2 years 11 months (1069

days), and to the memory of

all those Commonwealth Ser-

vice personnel and Maltese

Civilians that made the su-

preme in defence of the Island

Fortress of Malta between

1940 – 1942.

Malta Day UK 2011

10 September 2011

Traditional Maltese Fair

10.00—14.00

Westminster Cathedral Hall,

Ambrosden Avenue, London

SW1

Holy Concelebrated Mass

14.30

Westminster Cathedral

Presided by Mons Charles

Cordina

Followed by Fireworks and a

Street Procession with the

Statue of Our Lady of Victo-

ries

Evening Reception

19.30

Corinthia Hotel, Whitehall

Place, London SW1A 2BD

£28

For bookings call the Malta

High Commission on 0207 292

4827 or the Maltese Culture

Movement on 0207 272 9000.

St Paul Choral Society

London Concerts

8 September 2011

Lunchtime Recital of ‗a cappel-

la‘ choral music

13.15 –13.45

St Paul‘s Cathedral

St Paul‘s Churchyard

London EC4M 8AD

9 September 2011

Choir and Organ Concert

12.00—12.45

Parish Church of St Michael St

Michael‘s Alley, Cornhill,

City of London EC3V 9DS

Joint choral concert with the

London Forest Choir

19.30-21.00

United Reform Church

2B Buxton Road

Chingford E4 7DP

10 September 2011

Singing of Traditional Maltese

folklore by Carmelo Pace

12.00

Westminster Cathedral Hall

Ambrosden Avenue, London

SW1P 1QW

High Mass

14.30

Westminster Cathedral

42 Francis Street

Westminster SW1P 1QH

11 September 2011

Sunday Morning Sung Mass

12.00

Our Lady of Victories Church

235A Kensington High Street

W8 6AF


23 July

Friends of

Malta GC

Luncheon

15 August

GCIA Re-

membrance

& Commem-

oration

10 Septem-

ber Malta

Day UK

2011

8-11 Sep-

tember St

Paul‘s Choir

London

Tour

21 Septem-

ber Inde-

pendence

Day Anni-

versary

Concert

22 Septem-

ber Even-

song West-

minster Ab-

bey


and transcriptions for tuba will be

performed, showcasing the full

potential of the tuba. Christopher

Spiteri is currently based in Milan,

where he is reading for a Masters

Degree in Tuba Performance at

the ―Conservatorio di Musica G.

Verdi‖. He has performed in vari-

ous prestigious halls around Eu-

rope, such as the Mozarteum Hall

in Salzburg, the KKL Hall in Lu-

cerne and the Santa Cecilia Hall in

Rome, and has recently per-

formed as a soloist with the Malta

Philharmonic Orchestra.

If you would like to attend Tuba

Follia, please register your interest

by calling 0207 292 4811 or email-

ing:

[email protected]

Evensong at Westminster

Abbey

22 September 2011

17.00

20 Deans Yard

London SW1P 3PA

The Most Rev. John Hall, Dean of

Westminster welcomes the High

Commissioner and guests to the

Quire of Westminster Abbey for

Evensong. It is practice for the

Dean of Westminster to annually

invite the High Commissioner and

fellow Maltese to this uplifting

choral service on the occasion of

Malta‘s Independence Day anni-

versary.

Intercessory prayers will be said

for the leaders and the people of

Malta. Psalms and hymns will be

performed by the Choir of West-

minster Abbey, renowned world-

wide as one of the finest choirs of

its type.

If you would like to attend, please

register your interest by emailing

[email protected]

Independence Day Anniver-

sary Concert—Tuba Follia

21 September

19.30

St James‘ s Church

197 Piccadilly

London

W1J 9LL

A concert by Maltese tuba player

Christopher Spiteri. This recital

features the tuba as a solo instru-

ment, where both original works

Imnarja Celebrations The feast of Saint Peter and Saint

Paul – more commonly known in

Malta as Imnarja – was celebrated

in London on Saturday 25 June

2011.

The Maltese Culture Movement –

promoters and organisers of cul-

tural events for the Maltese Com-

munity in the UK – organised

once more a day packed with

activities for all the family in East

London. This event was very well

attended and attracted Maltese

and friends of Malta from all over

the UK.

The day‘s events started with Folk

Mass celebrated by Fr Victor Ca-

milleri OFM. The High Commis-

sioner of Malta, accompanied by

Mrs Zammit Tabona, addressed

the gathering and introduced this

year‘s guest of honour, the Leader

of the Opposition and Mrs Mus-

cat, who also addressed those

present. Afterwards, the High

Commissioner and the Leader of

the Opposition officially opened

the Maltese Fair, where those

present could purchase typical

Maltese fresh and frozen food

stuffs and drinks. Various stalls

were selling pastizzi, imqaret,

galletti, ġbejniet, ħobż biż-żejt,

bigilla and a selection of Maltese

soft drinks and beers.

Throughout the day, there

was entertainment for all

the family, which ranged

from tombola, a wheel of

fortune and a mobile zoo

to riding in a Maltese Bus.

This extravaganza of Mal-

tese culture was held at

the Roland Philipps Scouts Centre

at 65 Copley Street, London E1

3DF. For information on next

year‘s Imnarja and other events

organised by the Maltese Culture

Movement, you can access their

website

www.malteseculturemovement.com


P A G E 8

Honorary Consuls in the UK and Ireland

Malta at the International Spring Fair

On Tuesday 10 and

Wednesday 11 May, the

Malta High Commission

participated in the 52nd

CFAB Internat iona l

Spring Fair 2011, which

was held at Kensington

Town Hall, London.

The International Spring Fair

is an annual event, in its

52nd year, organised by

Children and Families Across

Borders (CFAB) where the

London diplomatic missions

of over 100 countries exhibit

and sell typical products of

their countries.

This year, the Malta stand

was selling handmade glass

by Mdina Glass; silver filigree

from Super Gold Jewellery

and Saliba‘s Gold and Silver-

smith; ġbejniet from Malta

Dairy Products Ltd (Benna);

Tal-Furnar Galletti from

Consolidated Biscuit Co.

Ltd, wines from Emanuel

Delicata Winemaker Ltd.

The stand generated a lot of

interest and proved to be

one of the busiest. All pro-

ceeds were donated to

CFAB Registered Charity.

On 11 May, the Malta stand

was visited by the Royal

Patron of CFAB, HRH Prin-

cess Alexandra and the In-

ternational Spring Fair Chair-

man, Mr Douglas Lewis CBE.

The Malta High Commission

would like to thank all the

above mentioned Maltese

companies which very gener-

ously donated their products

this year.

Hon Consul in Gibraltar Franco Cassar Loporto c/o Barclays Wealth

Regal House Queensway Gibraltar

[email protected] [email protected] Tel: +350 2005 2340

Mob: +350 5733 9000

Hon Consul Northern Ireland Tom Kelly The NewsRoom

Fountain Centre Belfast BT1 6ET [email protected]

Tel: +44 7767 393 250

Hon Consul in Scotland George Hunter OBE 1 Craiglockhart Crescent

Edinburgh Scotland EH14 1EZ [email protected]

Tel: +44 131 443 2533 Fax: +44 131 443 1682

Hon Consul in Wales Sir Brooke Boothby Fonmon Castle Fonmon, Barry

Vale of Glamorgan Wales CF62 3ZN [email protected]

[email protected] Tel: +44 0871 716 2357 +44 01446 710 206

Fax: +44 01446 711 687


Hon Consul on the Isle of Man John P Conti 17 Circular Road

Douglas Isle of Man IM1 1AF [email protected]

Tel. +44 1624 670003 Fax. +44 1624 612281

Hon Consul in Dublin Terence F Loane 30, Hermitage Grove Rathfarnham

Dublin 16 [email protected] Tel: +353 1 494 4220

Mob: +353 8625 73351

Gibraltar

Northern Ireland

Scotland

Wales

Isle of Man

Dublin

Maltese Organisations in the UK Maltese Culture Movement

Mr Bernard Scerri

Chairman P.O. Box 2964 London N19 4NS

Tel: 020 7272 9000 Fax: 020 7272 7787

[email protected]

www.malteseculturemovement.com

Maltese Charities Association

Ms Pat Troubridge

President c/o Landmark Hotel 222 Marylebone Road London NW1 6JP

Tel: 020 7631 8000

Maltese Community of East

London

Fr. Victor Camilleri c/o Boniface Mission

47 Adler Street London E1 1EE Tel: 020 7247 9529

Mob: 079 3019 8251 [email protected]

George Cross Island

Association

Ms Julia Gaw - Chairman 29, Pigeonhouse Lane, Rustington

West Sussex, BN16 2AY

Tel: 01903 786058 [email protected]

The Friends of Malta GC

(Formerly Association of Maltese

Communities of Egypt) Mr Herbert Magri Overend President

34 Mills Road Melksham Wiltshire SN12 7DT

Tel: 0122 5708 550 [email protected]

To add your organisation to

this list please contact the


mailto:[email protected]




In

Pictures

36 - 38 Piccadilly London W1J 0LE

Phone: 0207-292-4800

Fax: 0207-292-4803

General mail: [email protected]

Passports: [email protected]

Visas: [email protected]

Events: [email protected]

http://www.foreign.gov.mt/london


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