Minister Abela: the government is determined to inject a new verve for trade promotion
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion Carmelo Abela attended a gala dinner at The Radisson Blu Resort, St Julian’s organised for the first edition of the Malta Business Awards. The event was organised by TradeMalta, the executive agency dedicated to supporting Malta-based businesses to reach international markets with their products and services, thus contributing to economic growth and creating aspiration among younger enterprises. The event was also endorsed by the Office of the Prime Minister.
TradeMalta received 39 submissions for the six awards. The categories for which there were the most submissions were the Small Business, the Medium Business, the Emerging Markets and the award for Innovation Exporter.
The other awards were for the Large Business and for the High Potential Exporter. The seventh award, Overall Exporter of the Year, was based on the jury’s nomination, which was presented by Minister Abela.
Minister Abela addressed the audience, underlining the fact that the Ministry for Foreign Affairs was entrusted with the additional remit of Trade Promotion creating a new area of responsibility that has provided the ministry with further impetus to promote Malta’s commercial interests overseas.
This significant development builds upon the longstanding policies enshrined within government’s Strategic Foreign Policy Objectives, which highlight a determination to tie investment and trade activity to the functions of Malta’s dynamic diplomatic network.
Moreover, government is determined to inject a new verve for trade promotion, ensuring that it constitutes an integral part of the ministry’s daily endeavours, both at the Ministry head office here in Malta and at missions overseas.
Minister Abela explained that trade missions are supported via diplomatic channels and that this coordination involves a variety of tasks ranging from the facilitation of contacts with Maltese missions overseas and with foreign diplomatic missions accredited to Malta, as well as with other local and foreign commercial stakeholders.
He continued by saying that in recent months, these efforts have led to the success of various incoming delegations from countries such as Algeria, Oman, the United States, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, as well as the most recent outgoing delegations to Russia, Ghana, Ukraine and Tunisia.
The ministry’s network is further augmented through cooperation with Malta Enterprise, which has offices affiliated and embedded within Malta’s representations in China, Dubai, Rome, and the United Kingdom – a practice which the minister stated has his full support.
Minister Abela stated that the ministry is also actively seeking business opportunities in emerging and developing markets. To this effect, Malta’s first Embassy in sub-Saharan Africa is going to be opened quite soon. Diverse as can be, the African continent is undoubtedly fertile ground for the Maltese entrepreneur to explore and partner with.
The minister concluded by complimenting all finalists for their commercial success in emerging markets and encouraged them to persist in their efforts to seek business opportunities beyond our shores. He guaranteed his full commitment to support them overseas by clearing the way towards new business opportunities in various ways: notably business missions, business-to-business introductions, country information seminars, as well as financial grants for promotion at international events.