A joint liaison office of the EU and the Arab League is to open its doors in Floriana later this year, EU sources said yesterday.
Although the terms of reference are still being drawn up, sources said the Maltese government had already identified the building to host this new secretariat which will be geared to become a new tool of dialogue between the EU and Arab nations.
A European Commission delegation was in Malta a few weeks ago to assess the progress and hold preparatory meetings with Foreign Minister Tonio Borg, who is spearheading the initiative.
The new liaison office, to consist of a small staff of eight to 10, will be housed in a government property near the Police Headquarters in Floriana. Until recently, the building was used to house the office of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development (MCESD) and previously the Ministry of Finance.
"Malta is very enthusiastic about this initiative taken during the negotiations on the creation of the Union for the Mediterranean last year," a Commission official said.
"The Euro-Arab liaison office will have nothing to do with the Union for the Mediterranean and will coordinate projects and initiatives together with the Commission and the Arab league."
The parties are working towards opening the office by October or November.
Initially, it will be administered by three principal officials, one from each participating organisation in this initiative. There will be an official from the Arab League, one from the Commission and another from the Maltese government. There will also be additional support staff but the idea is to run a small operation.
The cost of running the office will be shared by the EU and the Arab League while Malta's contribution will be rent-free premises.
In an interview published recently in a United Arab Emirates business newspaper, Dr Borg was quoted as saying that the office would put dialogue between the EU and Arab League on a "permanent footing".
The idea of opening this office in Malta emerged during last year's negotiations to discuss where the Union for the Mediterranean should house its headquarters.
Malta had placed a bid to host the secretariat of the new Union but was outdone by Spain, which insisted the secretariat should be located in Barcelona as a continuation of the now defunct EU-Arab dialogue, known as the Barcelona process.
As compensation, Malta was offered to be the host of this new liaison office and to have the right to appoint one of the five deputy secretary generals of the new Union.