John Lowell is to be appointed Malta's ambassador in Washington next month as part of a "mini-reshuffle" at the top level of the diplomatic corps.

Mr Lowell, chairman of the Manoel Theatre and non-resident ambassador to Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina, will replace George Saliba, who is expected to return to the foreign ministry in Valletta.

Diplomatic sources said that new ambassadors were also expected to be appointed soon in other sensitive places such as Brussels, the UN in New York and Beijing.

Saviour Borg, who is based in Beijing as ambassador to China, Japan and Korea, is expected to replace Michael Bartolo as ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva.

Victor Camilleri, Malta's ambassador in Brussels, Walter Balzan, the permanent representative at the United Nations in New York, and Noel Buttigieg Scicluna, ambassador to Austria, the Slovak Republic and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), who resides in Vienna, were all given an extension to their term till March. They are then expected to move.

Sources said Mr Camilleri was expected to be posted to New York and Mr Balzan will take a European posting.

The sources indicated that Dr Buttigieg Scicluna was running for an international post within OSCE. However, the appointment would be decided by an election.

If Dr Buttigieg Scicluna is elected to this position, he will have to give up his diplomatic appointment. However, he was expected to be given a different posting if not elected, the sources indicated.

Salvino Busuttil, Malta's ambassador to France, Portugal and Andorra - who is resident in Paris - has had his term extended until the end of next year.