As President-elect Barack Obama becomes President Obama tomorrow, the term of US Ambassador Molly Bordonaro draws to a symbolic if not yet effective end.
With her term coming to an official end on 6 February, she tells The Malta Independent in an interview today that over the last three and a half years of her term, “We have accomplished everything I had set out to do. Obviously there is more that can be done, but that is part of the transition so I will pass the torch to the next ambassador.
“I am going to make it a point to spend some time with my successor before he or she comes out here to make sure that the next ambassador builds upon some of the foundations that have been put in place, and hopefully he or she will be open to my advice.”
Such foundations include a healthy strengthening of the countries’ bilateral relationship, achieved in part through the signing of several historic agreements including Malta’s entry into the US Visa Waiver Programme, a long-sought double taxation treaty and the permanent refugee resettlement programme.
On tomorrow’s inauguration and change administration she comments, “I think it is a great day for America to be swearing into office the first African-American president, and the son of an immigrant. It just really demonstrates that the American dream is alive and well.
“I think President-elect Barack Obama is the right leader at the right time. He inspires a tremendous amount of people and his ability on day one to create confidence and hope will go a long way in restoring faith in the economy and in some of the global events.
“He is obviously facing a tremendous challenge and I think all Americans are supportive and hopeful that he is up to the task.”
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In just over a fortnight US Ambassador Molly Bordonaro will pay a somewhat poignant farewell to a country she has grown to love, but she will do so with a sense of accomplishment – leaving as she does as one of the most popular and successful US ambassadors in recent memory. In this interview by David Lindsay, she speaks about the nine treaties that the US reached with Malta during her term in office, how she enjoyed Maltese life and on Barack Obama, who will be inaugurated as US President tomorrow.
Molly Bordonaro’s tenure as US Ambassador to Malta expires on 6 February, after which she will return to the private sector with no less than nine treaties and agreements, some of which were historic, under her belt – agreements ranging from Malta’s inclusion in the US Visa Waiver Programme to a long-sought double taxation treaty to the permanent refugee resettlement programme.
Now some three and a half years down the road since being appointed ambassador by US President George W. Bush in September 2005, she feels she has accomplished what she set out to do.
“I could definitely say ‘mission accomplished’,” she says. “I came here with a very clear set of objectives based on the things that the United States wanted to see evolve with Malta, and we have been able to do just that – the final one being Malta’s entrance into the Visa Waiver Programme, which was finalised on 31 December.
“So, just in the nick of time, we have accomplished everything I had set out to do. Obviously there is more that can be done, but that is part of the transition so I will pass the torch to the next ambassador.
“I am going to make it a point to spend some time with my successor before he or she comes out here to make sure they build upon some of the foundations that have been put in place, and hopefully they will be open to my advice.”
Among the hardest fought accomplishments of her term, Ms Bordonaro lists the double taxation agreement and the refugee resettlement programme as having been “very, very long processes that took tremendous effort and, at times, it seemed like we would not be able to go through with them”.
Undoubtedly, it was the refugee resettlement programme that has most endeared her most to the Maltese people – having stepped in to lend support and doing for Malta what the country’s fellow EU member states have consistently failed to do, to concretely share the burden of the Malta’s irregular migrant influx.
On a personal note, Ms Bordonaro cites the programme, which has seen over 200 of Malta’s resident refugees resettled in the United States since 2007, as having given her the most personal satisfaction.
Within weeks of taking up her appointment in September 2005, the Maltese government had first pitched the concept, when the severity of Malta’s migratory phenomenon had not yet reached today’s proportions. Just weeks later, in October, 2005 Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi forwarded the concept to President Bush at their meeting in Washington DC.
“It was easy to see at the time,” she says, “that Malta’s size created a limited ability for it to deal on a proportionate basis with any opportunity to try to assimilate the refugees that were coming here.”
Following the requests, Ms Bordonaro took the matter to the US government, but the programme was still a hard sell. Although the US takes in some 70,000 political refugees every year, it does not usually resettle refugees from European countries such as Malta, but instead goes straight to refugee camps in afflicted regions.
“It was very difficult to convince the United States government to do that, and it took myself personally flying back to have the meetings to convince them,” she recalls.
Once the government was convinced, work turned to dealing with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), with which the US works in resettling refugees, which, similarly, involved no insignificant amount of effort in terms of the UNHCR’s own limitations.
The programme got off the ground on a pilot basis in 2007, which saw some 30 of Malta’s resident refugees being resettled in the US and last April it evolved into a permanent, ongoing resettlement programme. Over 170 more refugees found a new home in the United States last year and work on expanding the programme further is underway.
Now that solid foundations have been laid, Ms Bordonaro confirms the work will continue in her absence.
“We did it for two reasons,” she explains “Number one is the humanitarian aspect. The refugees that were coming here were coming in numbers too big to be fully dealt with. Number two is giving assistance for Malta because of its inability to assimilate everyone – us taking some of the refugees would then allow for Malta to better assimilate those that we did not take.”
Moreover, she adds: “The programme also serves as a role model that hopefully other countries would look upon. I’m really happy that now the voluntary resettlements that European countries are doing are using and building on the programme we have developed. They are using the exact same programme with the same UNHCR model, office and case workers, so without our programme having been set in place the opportunity to do that would not have existed.”
Having taken a very personal interest, Ms Bordonaro has made it a point to meet with each and every individual resettled in the US.
She observes: “Their stories are amazing in terms of the obstacles and challenges, and in some cases the horrific backgrounds they have experienced in their own countries whether that be persecution, violence or war. I think they are incredibly driven people, driven by hopes and dreams - those are the type of people that have built the United States of America.
“They have had this tremendous hope, desire and initiative to do what they have done and I have been so enthusiastic that they are all going to be great Americans.”
Many would find it hard to believe that the first American diplomatic presence in Malta dates back as far as 1796, or that, even before that, the Knights of Malta had sent a contingent to fight within the French ranks against the British in the American Revolutionary War.
More recently, ties have become tighter, not least of which because of the strong family ties considering the large numbers of Maltese that have emigrated and settled in the US. Beyond that, the two countries are also working on several fronts on a number of global challenges.
“The United States looks at Malta as a partner in working to expand democracy, freedom and human rights, a partnership that has become stronger also because of Malta’s EU membership,” Ms Bordonaro explains.
“It is really a matter of the US and the EU working together to address many of the global challenges that we face, whether it is climate change, aid for Africa, the financial situation, or in poverty eradication. The trans-Atlantic relationship is so closely symbiotic to finding solutions to the global challenges that we face.
“So Malta being an EU member is critically important to strengthening that partnership and working together, as is Malta’s geographic location in the middle of the Mediterranean, where we also work closely on issues of security and safety.”
Such work includes the US having spent time and money training and building up the customs operations at the Malta Freeport, concluding the ship boarding agreement, and helping to create what is becoming a regionally if not globally known search and rescue training centre in Malta where coast guard and navy personnel from across Europe, Africa and the Middle East are trained.
Commenting on the training centre, she adds: “Malta has a historic maritime presence and it has really some of the best trainers. It has been just a very successful partnership in terms of providing the resources for the Armed Forces of Malta to build up this exceptional search and rescue training centre.”
Ms Bordonaro has represented the United States through some very difficult times – an unpopular war, the fight against terrorism, as well as the more recent financial meltdown and the defeat of her incumbent party at the polls last November.
But in times of controversy, she feels the best approach is to be as transparent as possible, and also to listen.
“There have obviously been very challenging times in terms of discussing American foreign policy,” she remarks. “But America as a whole and certainly my approach to it has always been to be as open and transparent as possible, to explain the great importance of working together globally in a multilateral fashion to address the threats that we face in the 21st century.
“Part of that is to explain America’s foreign policy, and also listening. So I spend a lot of time listening to the Maltese government and the Maltese people to get a better sense of Malta’s thoughts and approach to some of the challenges we are facing.”
She laughs when asked if dealing with Maltese politicians came as a culture shock, or whether it is a case of politicians being politicians the world over.
”I think it has been a fantastic relationship, and in particular I would single out the prime minister and his office, and also the foreign ministry, as being exceptionally accessible and easy to work with.
“We have signed a total of nine agreements and treaties over my term and when you go into negotiations on any issue there are always certain aspects that you differ upon. But the most important thing is that we were always able to talk, listen, understand and find out where there are areas that are mutually acceptable.
“What I have always appreciated with this government is the ability to work with them. I think one of Malta’s successes in terms of a small country having a greater impact within its region and globally is that they really work hard, and are accessible and easy to talk to.”
Ms Bordonaro, a political employee as opposed to being a career diplomat, feels her background gave her an edge in terms of bringing the private sector mentality into the public sector.
“I think it was really very valuable to bring into this position private sector experience. I think I was very goal-driven in terms of trying to accomplish a lot of things. Probably a lot of that comes from the private sector having immediate demands in terms of time and money, and always factoring those things in.
“I also have to say that I was very blessed by the fact that at this embassy during my three and a half years we have had really some amazingly talented career foreign service officers that I have been able to serve with. They helped me greatly in the areas I needed help in, so it was really an easy transition.
“And of course Malta is a great country that has been very welcoming of our family since day one.”
She describes her time in Malta as having been “amazing” not only in professional but also in personal terms and as well as for her eight-year-old daughter and her six- and three-year-old sons.
“Personally,” she comments, “it has been a wonderful experience for our family. One of my biggest fears as a mother in coming here was the children not only going to a new school, but to a new school in a new country – and the experience has exceeded all of our expectations.
“Our children have made life-long friends, they have been involved in so many activities and they have also been able to experience a different part of the world. The greatest thing is that fundamentally they have such a solid understanding now that people are people all over the world, that kids are kids, and they are going to take that back with them.
She takes a long reflective pause when asked what she thinks will stand out as her most cherished memories of Malta.
“We have so many! I would say the two Christmases we spent here were very special times for us. The Maltese celebrate Christmas in a very special way with such enthusiasm and celebrations.
“Another would be partaking in the festa celebrations, which are fantastic. But some of our cherished memories are really, I think, fully integrating ourselves into the Maltese culture and from that we have had some of our most special times here.”
As for her advice to her successor, who will be appointed by Barack Obama, she comments, “I would tell him or her two things. Number one, take the time to listen because as American ambassadors we often come in with very clear ideas and objectives. But really listening could be the key to finding those mutually agreeable areas.
“I would also tell them to really enjoy Malta. It is a fantastic place and I would encourage them to fully immerse themselves in everything that Malta has to offer.
Go to the sea and swim, go to the festi, go to dinner in Mdina and to small villages to have rabbit – all those things.”
As a Republican, things could have gone better for Ms Bordonaro in the last US elections, but despite any disappointments she may hold, she is optimistic and hopeful for President-Elect Barack Obama’s incoming term.
“I think it is a great day for America to be swearing into office the first African-American president, and the son of an immigrant. It just really demonstrates that the American dream is alive and well.
“I think President-Elect Barack Obama is the right leader at the right time. He inspires a tremendous amount of people and his ability on day one to create confidence and hope will go a long way in restoring faith in the economy and in some of the global events.
He is obviously facing a tremendous challenge and I think all Americans are supportive and hopeful that he is up to the task.”
As for her own future, when Ms Bordonaro’s term expires on 6 February she will return to the US to a new private sector venture, where she will work on a real estate equity fund focusing on green sustainable development and investing in mixed use commercial properties throughout the country.
“I am going to try to do my bit to restore the American economy,” she says with a laugh.