Downstairs in the afternoon sun Champs Elysee pullulated with people, plus ticket touts selling obviously fake tickets for tonight’s Champions League final, as Barcelona and Arsenal supporters crossed each other’s paths while doing the obligatory sights.

But in the Malta embassy, resplendent in the afternoon sun with a fresh and clean Maltese flag in the wind, an object lesson was being given how to attract direct foreign investment to Malta.

Yesterday’s events were the culmination of three years’ hard work by the Maltese embassy and the Malta Enterprise person in the embassy.

The first attempt was a meeting hosted by the Chamber of Commerce in December. That attracted some interest among possible French investors and the possibles, or rather potentials, were invited to an afternoon drinks session and a meeting with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.

This however was only one of the three levels used by the embassy and Malta Enterprise. In the afternoon, soon after he arrived from Malta, Dr Gonzi held a series of private meetings with officials from some top companies. One was mentioned in yesterday’s paper but OPM and Malta Embassy officials insisted the names in this regard must be kept secret for fear of scaring off the investment. Suffice it to say however, that one of the companies met at this level yesterday afternoon is a telecoms company which employs 57,000 workers in 130 countries and which had a turnover of e13.1 billion last year.

There was then a third level: high level entrepreneurs who were invited to a private dinner with Dr Gonzi at the posh Hotel Bristol

yesterday evening.

The list of invites here was impressive: it included the head of CMA-CGM Jacques Saade, Benoit Dussaugey from Dassault, Mario Galea and Patrick Gounnelle from Ernst & Young, Francis Dusseux from Esso, and Jean Louis Beffa from Saint Gobain. The latter has also written an industrial policy for France.

These are classed among the possibles, while the afternoon reception saw the probables.

Patrick Poirier, for instance, may become Malta’s consul in Tours. He has a pharmaceutical laboratory in the Loire Valley and is thinking of transferring it to Malta.

Daniel Taburiaux, from Sofrecap, trades between China and Europe and is transferring his company to Malta before the end of the year.

Other companies thinking of relocating to Malta include Connexion, which publishes a monthly magazine for expats in English in France. This is now being done in Malta but printed in France. A sister issue may be issued with Spain in mind.

Another company is Aim Satis, a rather small company in aviation but considered to be with great potential.

Other companies which have expressed interest in coming to Malta include Eutelsat which wants to widen its Malta operation and Eurocopter. Another company present in the afternoon represented an insurance company.

After mingling with the invitees, in both occasions, Dr Gonzi gave a short speech in which he highlighted the advantages that Malta offers to potential French investors. These include the technical ability of Maltese workers and their flexibility to adapt, their knowledge of the English language (ironically a strong point with the French industrialists) and of course, Malta’s geographic position, its membership in the EU and its strong links with the North African neighbours (as well the fact that Malta alone, out of the EU members states, has a double taxation agreement with Libya) and Malta’s pro-investor policies.

Prime Minister Gonzi is due to meet French President Jacques Chirac this afternoon. Later on, Dr Gonzi will rush to the Stade de France to assist at the Champions League final where he will be the guest of UEFA chairman Lennart Johannsen. He will thus meet King Juan Carlos and Spanish PM Zapatero.

For Dr Gonzi it will be a match to watch dispassionately, as his preferred team did not make it to the finals. In truth, the last time it won the European Cup, Dr Gonzi was still at school, but that’s life for you.