Richard Vella Laurenti presented his credentials as Malta’s Ambassador to Greece to Karolos Papoulias, President of the Hellenic Republic, at a ceremony held at the Presidential Palace in Athens on 31 October.

During a meeting after the presentation of credentials, President Papoulias and Ambassador Vella Laurenti acknowledged the strong bilateral relations that exist between the two countries as well as the collaborative role played by the two countries as members of the European Union and as active participants in Mediterranean regional fora.

Both President Papoulias and the Dr Vella Laurenti recognised the potential for further collaboration between the two countries for their mutual benefit especially in the shipping, maritime and tourist fields. The President and the Maltese Ambassador discussed a number of issues of mutual interest including trade between the two countries, illegal immigration and the Malta Initiative calling for a structured political dialogue between the EU and the League of Arab States.

President Papoulias asked Ambassador Vella Laurenti to convey his warmest greetings to President Edward Fenech Adami.