Malta was in the first seven months of this year visited by 28 foreign politicians and dignitaries, the Foreign Ministry said.

It said these included European Council president Herman Van Rompuy, the President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Gianfranco Fini, Libyan Foreign Minister Mousa Kousa, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman and Italian President Giorgio Napolitano.

In the same period, Foreign Minister Tonio Borg paid 18 official visits to a number of countries in Europe and further afield.

During some of them, bilateral agreements strengthening Malta’s foreign policy were signed, including with Italy, Montenegro, Croatia, France, Serbia, Poland, India, Libya, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, China and Tunisia.

Dr Borg also took part in the General Affairs and Foreign Affairs councils meetings.

The ministry also assisted in the signing or implementation of 35 bilateral agreements with several countries.

In all, 99 such agreements have been signed since March 2008. Such agreements include those on double taxation, visa removal, cooperation in health, culture, education, science, and the fight against drugs and organised criminality, investment promotion and protection, air services and tourism.