On 17 November 2023, the State Secretary Andris Pelšs met the next Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Malta to Latvia, Maria Cardona, who has come to Latvia on an accreditation visit.
The State Secretary confirmed Latvia's readiness to continue a broad political dialogue with Malta. The officials discussed opportunities for promoting economic cooperation between the two countries, with particular emphasis on the transport, bio-economy, biomedical and pharmaceutical sectors.
Latvia and Malta are like-minded countries, sharing common values and an understanding of strengthening a rules-based international order. The State Secretary appreciated Malta's work as an elected member of the UN Security Council, actively advocating for peace and security, in particular for a just peace in Ukraine. Andris Pelšs and Maria Cardona also discussed the tensions in the Middle East, condemned the attack on Israel by the terrorist group Hamas, while expressing support for Israel's right to self-defence in accordance with international law.
The accreditation ceremony with the President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, will take place on 17 November.
Ambassador Maria Cardona resides in Malta.
The Ambassador will also take part in the official programme of the 18 November Proclamation of Latvia celebrations.
