Agreements with UAE, Gulf company

The cooperation agreement between Malta and the United Arab Emirates to fight against drug trafficking and organised crime was signed in Riyadh last week between Malta's Ambassador to the UAE Godwin Montanaro and Ambassador Alsari Saeed Ahmed Aldahari on behalf of the UAE.

A completely unrelated agreement (and not as inadvertently reported yesterday) was signed between Mr Montanaro, who is also Malta's resident ambassador in Saudi Arabia, and Mahesh Anchan, vice president of the company VFS GCC, under which visitors from the Gulf can have their visa applications to Malta processed by VFS outstations from January 21.

And in another separate development, Mr Montanaro held talks on visa facilitation with Abu Dhabi's assistant under secretary for international cooperation Mohammed Abdul Rahim Mohammed Abduljalil at the Foreign Affairs Ministry there. The aim is to facilitate visa formalities for all Maltese citizens, particularly those residing in the UAE.

Ambassador Montanaro also raised the issue of Maltese driving licences since these are not always recognised in UAE. It was agreed that both sides would exchange official notes on the matter.