Foreign Affairs Minister George Vella gave orders to cancel the annual meeting of Malta’s ambassadors this summer in view of extensive changes in the diplomatic corps.
Times of Malta is informed that changes in the top ranks of Maltese diplomats serving abroad are in the offing and many ambassadors have already been advised about new postings or the termination of their contracts.
A Foreign Office spokesman confirmed the annual meeting would not be held this year due to the changes, which will be announced soon.
He said this was a one-off decision due to the recent change of Government and the annual meeting – which is aimed at coordinating Malta’s diplomacy abroad – would resume from next year.
According to sources, Dr Vella told aides he was finalising the list of new ambassadors, replacing many of the serving ones, including career diplomats.
“It seems that summer has been earmarked by the minister to appoint new ambassadors and transfer those who he feels should move sideways or end their tour of duty.
“Thus, there is no point having the annual coordination meeting when the service is in transition,” a senior diplomat said.
Ambassadors are bound to offer their resignation after every election to give a new administration the right to appoint new envoys.
In normal circumstances, career diplomats are retained or given new postings while some of or all the political appointees are replaced.
The sources said this would not be the case because the ministry was also planning to replace seasoned career diplomats.
They added that the majority of overseas representations, including the most important ones such as Rome, Brussels, Paris, Berlin, London and Washington, were expected to be occupied by new ambassadors, considered to be closer to the Labour Administration.
Many of the new ambassadors are expected to be political appointees from outside the diplomatic corps, with former Labour Party officials or employees also being assigned diplomatic roles.
In the rest of the EU, political appointees in diplomatic posts have been reduced to a bare minimum but in Malta this is not the case, particularly when Tonio Borg was foreign minister.
Still, it has been a tradition, even under various Nationalist governments, to nominate people from outside the civil service and the official diplomatic corps to senior diplomatic positions representing Malta overseas.