A parliamentary delegation led by Speaker Michael Frendo has returned from an official visit of six days to Australia, made at the invitation of Federal Speaker Harry Jenkins, and Senate President John Hogg.

The two party Whips, David Agius and Joe Mizzi, Francis Zammit Dimech, president of the Foreign and European Affairs Permanent Committee, and committee member Luciano Busuttil, were the members of the delegation.

Their activities included meetings in Canberra with Mr Jenkins and Mr Hogg, and with the presidents of the legislative councils of the states of Victoria and New South Wales, and of both states’ legislative assemblies.

The need for closer contact between the federal and state parliaments was raised and the Maltese representatives stressed the importance of Australia considering Malta as the door to trade and investment in Europe and North Africa, and the Mediterranean region.

Meetings were also held with Maltese-Australian trade associations, and the Maltese delegation also visited communities of Maltese in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney. Dr Frendo had meetings with various parliamentary representatives and on 12 October he laid a wreath on behalf of Malta’s House of Representatives at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the War Memorial in Canberra.