Foreign Affairs Minister George Vella is back in Malta and doing well after undergoing minor cardiac surgery in China, where he felt ill during a visit.
His arrival was confirmed by the Prime Minister, who said the 73-year-old minister was in “good condition” after landing in Malta in the early hours of yesterday.
Joseph Muscat made the announcement during a short telephone interview on One Radio, yesterday morning.
He thanked the Chinese government for its assistance, as well as the Qatari government for making the necessary flight arrangements to bring him back.
The Foreign Minister fell ill on his way back to his hotel after an official meeting but remained conscious at all times. He was taken to a Beijing hospital.
He thanked the Chinese government for its assistance, as well as Qatar for making the necessary flight arrangements
The news brought back memories of an incident in 2010, also in China, when President Emeritus George Abela slipped and injured his back during a State visit. Dr Abela had suffered a hairline fracture in his spine and was brought back to Malta by air ambulance.
“It has become a tradition for the Chinese government to give its support in moments like these,” the Prime Minister said, referring to Dr Abela’s incident a few years ago.
Touching on the economy, the Prime Minister referred to a Eurobaromter survey published a few days ago, saying the result showed that the country was moving forward.
The survey found that four out of every five Maltese people feel the economy is doing well and they were better off even on a personal level. “This is a very impressive figure” he said, while pointing out that this judgment had more weight as it was based on the people’s feeling and not government data.
Reacting to the call made by the Opposition for a faster introduction of the national minimum guaranteed pension to combat poverty, Dr Muscat said it was quite ironic that such advice was coming from the same party that had raised the retirement age and social security contribution.
As for the PN’s concerns about pensions’ sustainability, the Prime Minister said such fears could not be taken seriously, as they were being raised by the same party which had forecast that a Labour government would have to ask for a bailout.
“We have currently the fastest growing economy in the EU, the deficit is under control, and debt has come down by €100 million,” Dr Muscat said.
He also referred to the reduction in the price of gas cylinders, saying they had dropped to a four-year low and would have a positive impact on the catering and restaurant industry.
He noted that fuel and gas prices were no longer an issue as they had been stabilised.