The honorary consulate of Malta in Bratislava was declared officially open on Thursday 8 November 2012 at a reception hosted by the honorary consul, Martin Hantabál and his wife Janet, in the presence of the Ambassador of Malta to the Slovak Republic, Colin Scicluna and his spouse Annelies. The new consulate is housed in an impressive building which is centrally located in a neighbourhood of Bratislava that is synonymous with embassies and consulates. Among the guests were senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic, resident ambassadors in Bratislava as well as other members of the diplomatic and consular corps, together with representatives of the business community. In a speech to mark the occasion, the honorary consul expressed his pride in representing Malta in his country. He said that the role of the honorary consulate is particularly important since there is no resident Embassy of Malta in Bratislava. He pledged to strengthen the ties between the two countries and to help raise Malta’s profile in Slovakia. Ambassador Scicluna, in declaring the consulate officially open, said that this is a significant step since it provides a platform for the promotion of Malta as a location for history, culture, leisure, learning and business. He referred to the fact that Malta and Slovakia will face a common challenge, when they will together form part of the trio of EU presidencies in 2016-17. Dr Scicluna, who is resident in Vienna, also thanked Hon. Consul Hantabál for his enthusiasm and energy, looking forward to a long and fruitful collaboration.