The Foreign Ministry said the number of contacts made with Maltese embassies nearly trebled over 2008.
About 20,000 contacts were made with embassies abroad, a huge leap over the 2008 figure of 7,000. The increase was attributed to the ministry making a big emphasis on the workings of Maltese embassies, along with increased public awareness about the roles of embassies and consulates.
In addition, the publication of a guide featuring a collation of all important information about services offered by the ministry, Qabel Issiefer, was instrumental in the increase. Some 30,000 copies of the guide were distributed in the past year.