Malta’s new Ambassador to the United States of America, Mark Miceli-Farrugia recently presented his credentials to US President George W. Bush at the White House.

In written remarks, Mr Miceli-Farrugia recalled “the decades of shared efforts” during which Malta and the United States had defended the “principles of democracy and freedom”. He observed that this cooperation had more recently “been heightened by two of the most serious threats of our time: global terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass-destruction”.

Mr Miceli-Farrugia also mentioned the cordial meeting held in March in Washington, DC between Foreign Affairs Minister Michael Frendo and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. During the meeting both countries formalised an agreement on cooperation to suppress the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

In a written reply, Mr Bush expressed his wish “to deepen the already close relations between our countries” and acknowledged “the long history of friendship” between the two nations, “a friendship based on a mutual commitment to democracy and freedom”. He also paid tribute to the “over 1,800 Maltese sailors and members of the Order of St John” who, during the American Revolution, “enlisted in the French Navy to help America defend its independence”.

Mr Bush also said he was looking forward to working as closely with Mr Miceli-Farrugia as with his predecessor, Ambassador John Lowell, “who was exceptional in representing Malta in the United States”.