Melvyn Mangion on bilateral relations between Malta and Czech Republic
Diplomatic relations between Malta and the then Czechoslovakia were established on 10th July, 1968. On 1st January 1993, Malta recognised the Czech Republic as a successor state of the former Czechoslovakia. Melvyn Mangion provides a general brief on Malta’s relations with Czech Republic in this article.
Between 1994 and 1998 there were various ministerial visits to the Czech Republic during which issues relating to the improvement of trade relations and investment were discussed.
The Hon. Edward Fenech Adami, Prime Minister paid an official visit to the Czech Republic accompanied by the Hon. Michael Refalo, Minister for Tourism, between 10–15 May 1999, on the occasion of the holding of a Malta week in Prague. Prime Minister Fenech Adami travelled on the inaugural flight of Air Malta to Prague. Official meetings in Prague included a courtesy call on President Vaclav Havel, a call on the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister as well as on the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The main items on the agenda were Malta and the Czech Republic’s EU accession process and the increasing of bilateral business exchanges and investment.
In July 1999 after a break of six years, seventeen companies and agencies from the Czech Republic took part in the International Trade Fair in Malta.
On the occasion of the inauguration of the Corinthia Towers, Prime Minister Fenech Adami visited Prague between 26–28 May 2000. It was not possible for the Prime Minister to have any official meetings during his brief stay in the Czech Republic.
On 16 November 2000, Mr. Pavel Telicka, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and Secretary of State for European Affairs, paid an official visit to Malta to hold consultations concerning accession to EU membership with Mr. Richard Cachia Caruana, Chief, Core Negotiating Group of Malta. During the course of his stay, Mr. Telicka met also the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Speaker of the House and the President of Malta. Moreover, Mr. Telicka was the main speaker at a talk entitled — Negotiating Accession — the Czech Experience”, organised by the Chamber of Commerce.
In January 2002, the Czech Ambassador Hana Sevcikova inaugurated a branch of the Milan Czech Trade Office at the Chamber of Commerce in Valletta. According to Mr. Tonio Casapinta, Hon. Consul of the Czech Republic, the aim was to promote bilateral collaboration in matters relating to EU accession and to assist the Czech Republic to tap the Mediterranean and North African markets.
Czech President Vaclav Havel paid a State Visit to Malta between 7 and 9 April 2002. Apart from the official talks with the President of Malta he also met the Prime Minister. During the occasion, a bilateral Investment Guarantee Agreement was officially concluded.
The Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs made an informal apology to his Maltese homologue following the Czech Republic’s failure to invite Malta to the Prague meeting for small European States that was held on the 1st September 2003.
The Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mr. Cyril Svoboda visited Malta on 13 and 14 November 2003. Meetings included calls on President De Marco, Prime Minister Fenech Adami, Foreign Minister Borg, and Opposition Leader Sant. H.E. Zvoboda disclosed the Czech Republic’s support to Malta’s position regarding the number of MEP’s in the European Parliament.
On 2–3 February 2004, the first visit of a Czech Parliamentary delegation to Malta took place. Officials from the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic paid courtesy calls on H.E. President De Marco, on the Hon. Prime Minister Dr. Fenech Adami and on the Hon. Anton Tabone, Speaker of the House of Representatives. A meeting was also held with the Hon. Tonio Borg, Minister for Justice and Home Affairs. Discussions focused on the implementation of the acquis communautaire, EU membership and parliamentary activities in both countries.
On 10 November 2004, during an official meeting between the Hon. Dr. Lawrence Gonzi, Prime Minister and H.E. Mr Libor Secka, Ambassador of the Czech Republic, the adoption of the single currency, bilateral relations, membership in the European Union and Malta’s problems with migration and the environment were mentioned.
On 11–15 November 2004, the Committee for European Affairs of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic, headed by H.E. Pavel Svoboda, paid an official visit to Malta. During the visit, the Committee called on Acting President Dr. George Hyzler, Director EUD Mr. John Inguanez, the Speaker of the House of Representatives Anton Tabone, the Hon. Dr. George Vella MP, and the Foreign and European Affairs Committee. The topics discussed included inter-parliamentary co-operation, EU membership and the EU Constitutional Treaty.
On 25–26 November 2004, Mr. Petr Pithart, President of the Senate of the Czech Republic, paid an official visit to Malta. He called on President Dr. Fenech Adami, on the Prime Minister Dr. Gonzi, on the Hon. Speaker of the House of Representatives Mr. Anton Tabone, the Hon. Mifsud Bonnici, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry for Justice and Home Affairs, and on the Foreign and European Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives. The meetings focussed mainly on bilateral relations particularly at the parliamentary level, and inter-parliamentary cooperation in the international fora.
On 17–19 January 2005, H.E. the President Dr. Edward Fenech Adami paid a three day state visit to the Czech Republic, aimed at enhancing bilateral trade. The President was accompanied by the Hon. Austin Gatt, Minister for Investment and Information Technology and a commercial delegation which included Malta Enterprise Chairman Joseph Zammit Tabona, the President of the Malta Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise Louis Apap Bologna, the President of the Malta Federation of Industry Anton Borg and the Employers’ Association, Pierre Fava. Meetings were held with the Czech President Vaclav Klaus and the Prime Minister Stanislav Gross. During the visit the Programme of Cooperation in the Fields of Science, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport between the Government of the Czech Republic and the Government of Malta for the years 2004–2007 was signed. The signatory on the Maltese side was the Hon. Minister Austin Gatt while the Minister of Education, Youth and Sport, Petra Buzkova signed the Agreement on behalf of the Czech side.
On 26th May 2005 Ambassador Sečka met the Hon. Michael Frendo, Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Czech Ambassador invited the Hon. Minister Frendo for an official visit to Prague during 2006. Discussions focused also on the ratification process of the EU constitution.
On 8–9 March 2006, the Hon. Michael Frendo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, paid an official visit to Prague and met with H.E. Cyril Svoboda, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and with Mr. Pavel Svoboda, Chairman of the EU Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies. During this visit, Minister Frendo gave a talk to the Institute of International Affairs of Prague on the EU and its Neighbourhood. The Minister was accompanied by Dr. John Vella, Ambassador of Malta to the Czech Republic who presented his letters of credence on 14 March 2006.
On 21 December 2006 H.E. Mr. Valdimir Zavazal, Ambassador of the Czech Republic presented his Letters of Credentials to H.E. the President of Malta. Apart from meeting high officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Zavazal paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister and on the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
H.E. Dr Milan Hovorka, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, accompanied by Ambassador Chmielewski, lead a Business Mission to Malta on 10th July2008. The Mission included and representatives of firms from the tourism, finance, insurance, multi-media and energy sectors. A presentation on ‘Doing business with the Czech Republic’ was held on 11th July 2008 at the Malta Enterprise offices where one-to-one meetings with Maltese businessmen were also arranged.
Read further at www.melvynmangion.com
