When did Malta enter into diplomatic relations with Germany? When was the embassy founded and how would you describe the political relations between the countries?

Malta established diplomatic relations with Germany almost immediately after the independence of Malta in 1964. The embassy was founded at the same time. The political relations between Germany and Malta are close and amicable; they have been excellent for many years.

High ranking personalities from Malta have visited Germany and, likewise, German high profile persons have come to Malta. Our last highlight was the state visit of Malta president Prof. Guido de Marco to Germany in November 2001. Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder paid a visit to Malta in February this year.

What has changed since Malta joined the European Union in May? In which way does this development affect your work and how do you cope with the new legislation and rules?

We have recently come closer together; it is like being part of a big family. The fact that the two countries are now bound by the same regulations makes life much easier. It affects my work as it removes bureaucratic and legal barriers between Malta and Germany.

A lot of regulations and laws used to be different because Germany was a member of the European Union and Malta was not; however they have now been adjusted. I would like to stress, however, that the bilateral relations were already excellent before Malta joined the European Union this year.

The economic cooperation between Malta and Germany is strong. What is your opinion on this issue? What can you comment on the German investment in Malta? How many German firms have set up their business here?

That is true – we have very good and strong economic relations between the two countries as we have an effective exchange of goods in both directions. All in all, imports from Germany to Malta as well as exports from Malta to Germany are on a high level. We have many imported German cars here, for example.

At the same time we have a large number of German investment in Malta. About 50 firms have settled down here. The biggest investments are those of Playmobil, employing about 700 people here, Menrad and Mc Neil. Currently, there are three economic agreements between Malta and Germany that are in force:

• The Treaty concerning the Encouragement and Reciprocal Protection of Investments of 1974;

• The Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement of 2001; and

• The Air Transport Agreement of 1994.

What effects do German tourists have on the Maltese economy?

Tourism is the foremost industry in Malta and tourists from Germany rank second after Britain. That is why German visitors have a strong effect on the Maltese economy.

Unfortunately, the number of tourists coming from Germany has declined in recent years. Therefore the Maltese government, the Malta Tourism Authority and the embassy of Malta in Berlin are working closely together in order to reach previous numbers again.

What about the cultural relations? Are there school exchanges, cooperation between universities or town twinnings?

There are contacts between schools as well as between universities, and they work very well together. Some schools here hold exchanges of school pupils with schools in Germany.

The University of Malta cooperates with several German universities such as Augsburg, Claustal, Max-Planck-Institute in Mainz and Research Institutes of the Hemboltz-Society in Juelich and Karlsruhe.

The exchange of students is encouraged by the European network offering various programmes for students. On town twinning agreements, we do not have too many of them. The first one – between Adenau and Mellieha – was established in 1996. Furthermore there are contacts with Eschborn and Paderborn. There is space for more.

In which way is the embassy – morally and legally – responsible for Germans living or staying on holiday in Malta? What duties do you have in general and who can get help and support at all?

The embassy abroad can be described as Germany’s eyes, ears and mouth. We represent our country, defend its interests, develop and maintain political, economical and cultural relations. Furthermore, we protect German citizens in host countries and provide assistance for anybody who is in need of help.

For example, if one loses his passport here in Malta, he or she can turn to us and we will give him a passport to go back to Germany. Or in case somebody is completely running out of money, we try to help him to return to Germany.

However, we always emphasise that anybody who is in need should first contact his family or acquaintances and then try to get help from someone else. We are only the last resort. In addition to that, the embassy provides all kind of information about Germany for foreigners.

Which Maltese authorities do you cooperate with?

The Foreign Ministry is responsible for the embassy, but we cooperate with the other ministries as well. We are also continuously in contact with all Maltese authorities. It largely depends on the specific problem we have to solve.

For example, if it has got something to do with the environment, we get the information from the Environment Ministry. And if it has got something to do with finance, we get the information from the Finance Ministry or the Central Bank.

Are the staff working for you here at the embassy locals or native Germans? Do they work full-time or on a voluntary basis and how many people work here in total?

The people working here are mainly German, but there are also a few locals employed with the German embassy. There are 13 of us in total and we all work full-time.

How and at what time can people in need of help reach the embassy? And in which cases might it be more helpful to contact the competent authorities in Germany directly?

People in need of help can reach us all the time. We have got opening hours on working days. But we offer an emergency service by telephone as well, so if somebody has a serious problem, he or she can call us and we try to help him.

In exceptional cases, for example an accident or a serious illness, Germans can contact us at night or during weekends as well. It would be better if Germans planning to stay here for a long time, or who are going to be employed with a Maltese company, contact the competent authorities in Germany in advance. We also give tips on how to prevent emergencies, even before the start of the journey.

In which cases can Germans needing financial help in Malta expect help from the embassy? What about costs, formalities and legal support?

In a view of electronic bank transfer, which makes it possible to send and receive electronic cash almost all over the word, people who run out of money should contact relatives or friends before resorting to the embassy for help. In case all their financial possibilities are exhausted, they can get a ticket back to Germany – but they have to pay everything back. If somebody is in jail, he can insist on meeting and speaking to an official of the embassy. The official checks the reason for the arrest and the state of the prisoner’s health, as well as appropriate treatment and food supply. The official may also get in touch with the prisoner’s family and get him or her a lawyer.

On average, how many German nationals turn to you with their problems and for what reasons?

Approximately 1,500 persons contact the embassy each year. They turn to us with serious, complicated or pressing problems as well as just for general information. Germans contact us mostly due to the loss of a passport, the registration of a child or also in order to get information about Malta. Maltese persons usually call us for general information about Germany.

What kind of support is the embassy not allowed to give – where is the limit? What if there is a conflict between the Maltese and German legislation?

Foreigners have to observe the legislation of the host country and should always take into consideration that the legislation there might be completely different from the one at home. If one still gets into trouble, we do everything that is within our legal power to help. However we are not allowed to pay debts, issue a new identification card, driving licence and motor vehicle papers.

Living and working in Malta. There are probably a lot of stumbling blocks for foreigners who plan to settle down here. Does the embassy inform about requirements and conditions immigrants have to fulfil to get a work permit or a visa? Can they also get detailed information about work and income, health and education or topics such as law and housing?

Foreigners planning to settle down and start working here can get detailed and comprehensive information about these topics from the Maltese government’s website www.gov.mt

For instance, the website contains information about financial conditions foreigners have to fulfil in order to get a permanent residence permit or a temporary residence permit (visa). It also explains how to apply for a work permit.

Furthermore, it provides addresses and telephone numbers as well as useful links to other websites of the competent Maltese authorities. It might sometimes be a complicated and lengthy procedure to finish off all formalities. For this reason, we always advise Germans to contact the Maltese embassy in Berlin in advance.

How can the Maltese here benefit from the German embassy? With what sort of problems or questions can the locals turn to you?

The locals here can get all sort of useful information about Germany in general, such as about our foreign politics, domestic politics or economic policies. The embassy also informs about cultural highlights like festivals and celebrations.

Additionally, it provides information about German universities for students or about firms for those Maltese who are interested in business contacts. On the whole, Maltese do not usually turn to us with their problems. We sometimes receive complaints about German debtors who refuse to pay long overdue invoices but these disputes are normally referred to court.

What information about Germany would you give Maltese persons who are thinking of taking up residence in Germany?

The embassy informs about conditions foreigners have to fulfil to get a work permit or a residence permit for Germany. We also provide a list of the competent German authorities, universities and schools.

We can give them address details, telephone numbers and links to websites dealing with those topics. Many websites inform about typical habits and the lifestyle in Germany so that Maltese can familiarise themselves with the German culture.

What is your advice for those Maltese who are considering Germany as a holiday destination?

A lot of Maltese travel to Germany and as a consequence many firms offer special trips to various tourist attractions in Germany. I hope that many Maltese spend their vacations in our country, just like a lot of Germans do in Malta. What I can tell them? They are more than welcome to visit Germany!

What are you planning to improve the bilateral relations between the two nations in the future?

I would describe the improvement of the relations as a constant process and therefore both sides have to work on it constantly. As an ambassador, I am meeting and cooperating with the Maltese as well as with visitors from abroad to further develop our political relations.

At the moment we are organising a football game between the football teams of the Maltese Members of Parliament and the German Members of Parliament. This is expected to take place next month. I believe this event will also bring us closer together. It must be pointed out that it is quite difficult to improve the relations between Malta and Germany because these are already excellent!