Energy security, an external trade policy and climate change will be among subjects to be discussed in plenary sessions during a meeting being held today and tomorrow for Maltese Ambassadors and High Commissioners resident abroad, who have been summoned for the Third High Level Meeting of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Foreign Minister Michael Frendo called the meeting to discuss with the Permanent Secretary, directors general, directors, ministry officials and diplomats, a number of important themes pertaining to the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The meeting today holds the first plenary session discussing “The Malta Initiative”. The panel will be led by Dr Frendo.

The second plenary will discuss an Evaluation of a Critique on the UNDP Human Development Report 2005 and the Arab World. This will be delivered by Abdel-Ilah Bennis, Director of Diplomatic Studies at the Diplomatic Academy of London at Westminster University.

Energy Security and Affordability and Climate Change will be the theme of the third plenary session and the panel includes Michael Zammit Cutajar, Malta’s Ambassador on Climate Change and Chris Mercieca, Malta’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva.

The first day will come to an end with a further plenary session, the fourth, which will discuss an External Trade Policy. This paper will be presented by Charles Inguanez, Director General, European and Economic Affairs at the Ministry and Saviour Borg, Permanent Representative of Malta at the UN in Geneva.

The meeting will reconvene tomorrow for its fifth plenary session discussing the Schengen Acquis and Visa Policy. Carlo Apap Bologna, Schengen National Programme Manager and Paul Demajo Albanese, from the Schengen Unit will deliver this presentation.

The final session of the meeting will deal with Image Projection and Reputation Management in the Age of Geodiplomacy, presented by Prof. Nabil Ayad, Director, Diplomatic Academy of London University of Westminster.