Last Wednesday was another fruitful day for Malta, and in particular for the Foreign Affairs Ministry, which had to juggle between delegations from Libya and Italy in a matter of a few hours to further improve the relations that exist with both sides.

And, in the end, Foreign Minister Tonio Borg must have been a happy man as the efforts of his ministry led to discussions from which Malta can benefit – both in terms of its direct relations with the two countries, as well as on an international level.

Libyan Foreign Minister Mousa Kousa and the Speaker of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Gianfranco Fini were both in Malta, at about the same time, to hold talks with local delegations.

And while a main focus was illegal migration – Malta being more or less the middle point between Libya and Italy – other issues discussed were proof of the willingness from each side to further deepen the strong relationship that already exists.

With Italy expressing its will to participate in the operation of the European Asylum Support Office and with the Libyan Foreign Minister calling upon the European Union to shoulder its responsibility – something which Malta, for its part, has been insisting upon for years – illegal migration was certainly high on the agenda in the separate talks.

Thankfully, the illegal migration issue – at least from Malta’s side – has somewhat subsided over the past months. Libya is tackling the problem in a more serious manner, and the number of boats full of migrants leavings its shores and making their way to Malta or Italy has dwindled over the past months.

But this does not mean that the problem has been eliminated. As Mr Kousa himself pointed out, Libya still has to deal with thousands of migrants who are making their way into the country from other African nations as they seek to cross over to mainland Europe.

The European Union must therefore listen to Libya’s call for assistance in this regard, and Malta can play a leading role in all this. It is to our benefit if the number of migrants arriving on our shores is reduced to a minimum, knowing how our resources are stretched when there is a heavy influx.

The work of a Foreign Ministry is often unseen, largely because its work is not oriented towards the day-to-day needs of the locals. There is no hospital to look after, no schools to refurbish and no roads to resurface. But it is then the direct link between Malta and the rest of the world. For a small island state, an effective and efficient Foreign Ministry is the only way that isolation could be “reduced”.

Since Dr Borg took over the foreign ministry portfolio in March 2008, Malta has been active across the whole spectrum of its relations with other countries. Apart from its commitments to and with the European Union, Malta has been “present” in other fora and has worked hard to further enhance its affairs – political and business – with nations with whom there was little connection in the past.

Visits to Ukraine, India and Qatar enabled Malta to make its voice heard in these countries and will possibly lead to further trade. Countless agreements have also been signed with different countries to enable a smoother flow of people and goods between the two sides.

This year also promises to be a busy one for the Foreign Ministry. Apart from the visits we had this week, in the next few months Malta will be hosting Libyan Leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi (in March) and His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI (in April).