Deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg has been warmly welcomed by the Maltese community in Australia for the government’s decision to allow Maltese citizenship for second generation Maltese born in Australia.

Dr Borg has so far been to Melbourne and the federal capital, Canberra. Today he will be in Sydney.

A ministry statement said in Melbourne he presented, on behalf of the President of Malta, the medal for Qadi tar-Repubblika to Carmen Testa who has helped Maltese integrate in Australian life.

Dr Borg also met Steve Bracks, Premier of the state of Victoria. He thanked Australian state and federal authorities for the new Australian law that allows Maltese who gave up Australian citizenship to re-acquire it.

In Canberra Dr Borg met Kevin Andrews, federal minister responsible for immigration, and at the Maltese high commission he met Maltese families who live in the federal capital. He was last night expected to meet Foreign Minister Alexander Downer.