Heritage Malta's Malta Maritime Museum and the National Museum of the Royal Navy agreed to identify opportunities for collaborative research and expertise in developing the awareness and understanding of naval heritage on a regional, national and international level.
It also helps to foster the interest of the general public in their naval heritage and maritime background.
The areas of collaboration were outlined in a three year memorandum of understanding signed by Heritage Malta and the National Museum of the Royal Navy at the Malta Maritime Museum in Vittoriosa.
"Thanks to this agreement, both sides will work together to further the projection and promotion of Naval Heritage. It will seek to complement and further the delivery of the strategy of the respective organizations in Malta and Portsmouth and will provide facilities for the detailed research and studies of all areas of mutual interests." Both parties agreed that they will promote each other and share educational and learning resource and ideas, a Heritage Malta statement read.
"Both countries have a rich naval history which goes back hundreds of years. Due to its strategic position in the centre of the Mediterranean, Malta has always had close connections with the sea and maritime sector. Since 1800 a strong legacy was built between Malta and England after Malta became a British colony. The British period was a significant era in Maltese history and the British legacy still lives on in many aspects of the Maltese daily life."
"With a unique collection of over 20,000 artifacts belonging to Malta's maritime past, the Malta Maritime Museum, housed within the Old Naval bakery, helps visitors chart 7,000 years of history all housed under one roof. The National Museum of the Royal Navy is a museum of the history of the Royal Navy located in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. It houses three centuries of naval history."