Visit to Medacby the Hon. Carmelo Abela, Minister of Foreign Affairs
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Visit to MEDAC by Hon. Carmelo Abela, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion ............................................................................... 1 State Visit of H.E. Beji Caid Essebsi, President of the Republic of Tunisia / MEDAC visits H.E Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, President of Malta ........................... 2 A Contribution to Maritime Safety: Coast Guard Training ..................................... 3 Ambassadorial Visits ................................................................................ 4 1st Young Med Voices Regional Seminar ......................................................... 6 MEDAC Post-graduate Seminar on ‛Transatlantic Relations and the Mediterranean’...... 8 Calendar ............................................................................................. 10 MEDAC Alumni News ............................................................................... 12 Contents Honorary Consul Award 2018 ..................................................................... 14 Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung KAS-MEDAC Scholarship Program for Young Diplomats established ..................................................................... 15 Official Presidential Visit to Switzerland / MEDAC Board .................................... 16 Visit to MEDAC by the Hon. Carmelo Abela, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion – 4 December, 2018 n 4 December 2018, Hon. Carmelo foreign policy. The session included a Abela, Minister for Foreign Affairs dynamic Q&A exchange between the Hon. Main Photo: Left to right: Prof. Stephen and Trade Promotion, delivered Minister and the students of the Academy. Calleya, Director MEDAC, Hon. Carmelo O Abela, Minister for Foreign Affairs and a keynote address to the post-graduate This prestigious occasion was also Trade Promotion, Prof. Godfrey Pirotta, students of the Mediterranean Academy attended by the Chairman of MEDAC, Chairman MEDAC & Mr. Anthony Vella of Diplomatic Studies which was Prof. Godfrey Pirotta and Mr. Anthony Gregory, MEDAC Board Member. moderated by Professor Stephen Calleya, Vella Gregory, MEDAC board member. The Director of MEDAC. lecture was also attended by Dr. Derek Below: Hon. Carmelo Abela, delivering the keynote address to the MEDAC Class. Lutterbeck, Holder of the Swiss Chair, The Minister’s lecture focused on the and Dr. Monika Wohlfeld, Holder of the Bottom: Group Photo current strategic priorities of Malta’s German Chair. Spring 2019 / No. 28 MEDAC Newsletter 1 MEDAC hosts conference entitled “Empowering Gender Equality” he Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies hosted the Tconference entitled “Empowering Gender Equality” on 6 February 2019. The conference was an official event organized under the auspices of the Office of the President of Malta on the occasion of the State Visit of H.E. Beji Caid Essebsi, President of the Republic of Tunisia. H.E. President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca and H.E. President Essebsi delivered the keynote opening remarks. Numerous distinguished speakers from Malta and Tunisia addressed this conference including Pro-Rectors of the University of Malta, Prof. Godfrey Baldacchino and Prof. Carmen Sammut personalities including the students Above: H.E. President Marie Louise Coleiro as well as Dr. JosAnn Cutajar, Head of MEDAC. Professor Stephen Calleya, Preca and H.E. President Beji Caid Essebsi of Department Gender Studies at Director, and Dr. Monika Wohlfeld, Holder delivering their keynote addresses. the Faculty for Social Wellbeing. The of the German Chair, moderated the conference was attended by numerous conference proceedings. MEDAC Students and Faculty were privileged to visit H.E. Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca at San Anton Palace, Attard n 6 December 2018, MEDAC students about the importance of Below right: H.E Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, students and Faculty were diplomacy in contemporary international President of the Republic of Malta delivering Oprivileged to visit H. E. Marie- relations and encouraged everyone to an address to MEDAC postgraduate students. Louise Coleiro Preca, the President of the pursue a more peaceful future in their Republic of Malta. During the meeting at respective careers. Below: MEDAC students and Faculty together San Anton Palace, Attard, Her Excellency with H.E. Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, President of Malta. delivered an address to the postgraduate 2 MEDAC Newsletter No. 28 / Spring 2019 A contribution to Maritime Safety: Coast Guard Training in Cooperation with the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration and the Armed Forces of Malta ne of the most important challenges of Coast Guard officials of key search affecting the Mediterranean in and rescue as well as maritime law and Orecent years has been the one migration issues. Moreover, as regional of irregular maritime migration. In courses which bring together participants recent years, hundreds of thousands of from different countries, the aim has migrants and refugees have sought to also been to strengthen cooperation cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe. between riparian states in conducting These journeys are often undertaken in maritime search and rescue operations. unseaworthy and overloaded vessels, with In recent years, Coast Guard officials thousands of migrants losing their lives from countries such as Algeria, Egypt, every year. Indeed, the Mediterranean Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia have taken — and the Central Mediterranean in part in these courses. particular — is currently considered to be the ‘deadliest’ border in the world. The Coast Guard training courses have A further challenge in this context has been part of the SEM’s strategy to been the fact that the Mediterranean enhance cooperation with, and improve is bordered by a rather large number of migration management in, source and countries, and that cooperation between transit countries of migration. For these countries in carrying out search and example, in recent years, Switzerland rescue operations at sea has not always has concluded migration partnership been smooth. agreements with countries such as Nigeria and Tunisia, and it has also strengthened Against this background, MEDAC and the its participation in multilateral migration Swiss State Secretariat for Migration dialogues in the Mediterranean region (SEM), in cooperation withthe Armed and beyond. Moreover, Switzerland Forces of Malta (AFM) have carried has increased its participation in the out training courses for Coast Guard UNHCR’s refugee resettlement programs officers from southern and eastern and taken part in EU-wide relocation Mediterranean countries. These courses initiatives under which in recent years it have been held in Malta on a yearly has accepted several thousands of asylum basis since 2012. Their main objective seekers from countries such as Greece or has been to enhance the understanding Italy. Top: Course participant receiving his certificate from Dr. Derek Lutterbeck, MEDAC. Centre: Course participant receiving his certificate from Colonel Christopher Attard, AFM. Bottom: Group photo of course participants. Spring 2019 / No. 28 MEDAC Newsletter 3 Ambassadorial Visits H.E. Ambassador Consuelo Femenia, Above left: Left to Right: Prof. Stephen Ambassador of Spain visits MEDAC Calleya, Director MEDAC, H.E. Ambassador Consuelo Femenia, Ambassador of Spain, Prof. Godfrey Pirotta, Chairman MEDAC and Mr. Francisco Javier Cantero Talavera, .E. Ambassador Consuelo Femenia, Ambassador of Spain together with Mr. Deputy Head of Mission. Francisco Javier Cantero Talavera, Deputy Head of Mission, visited MEDAC on 21 HNovember 2018 and met with the Chairman of MEDAC, Prof. Godfrey Pirotta and Above right: H.E. Ambassador Consuelo the Director, Prof. Stephen Calleya. The visit provided an opportunity to review current Femenia signing MEDAC visitor's book. developments in the Mediterranean. Visit by H.E. Ambassador Andreas Stadler, H. E. Ms. Brigitte Curmi, Ambassador of Austria Ambassador of France to Malta visits MEDAC n 4 December 2018, H.E. Ambassador Andreas Stadler, Ambassador of Austria to Malta visited the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies. During the Ocourtesy call visit, Amb. Stadler and Prof. Stephen Calleya, together with Dr. E. Ms. Brigitte Curmi, the Monika Wohlfeld discussed numerous ideas pertaining to current trends in diplomacy. Ambassador of France to Malta, The occasion also served as an opportunity to map out possible opportunities of co- Hvisited MEDAC on 6 November operation between MEDAC and Austria. 2018. During the visit to the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies, Ambassador Curmi and Prof. Stephen Calleya exchanged views about contemporary developments in the Euro-Med area. Prof. Stephen Calleya, Director MEDAC Left to right: Prof. Stephen Calleya, Director MEDAC, H.E. Amb. Andreas Stadler, Amb. of Austria to and H.E. Ms. Brigitte Curmi, Malta and Dr. Monika Wohlfeld, Holder of the German Chair in Peace Studies and Conflict Prevention. the Ambassador of France to Malta. 4 MEDAC Newsletter No. 28 / Spring 2019 Ambassadorial Visits The former Foreign Minister of Portugal, Ambassador Antonio Martins da Cruz visits MEDAC he former Foreign Minister of Portugal, Ambassador Antonio Martins da Cruz, visited MEDAC on 12 November 2018 and addressed the students and academics Ton ‛Diplomacy in Transition: Portugal’s experience with the transfer of sovereignty of Macau’. During a lively Q & A session, Amb. da Cruz provided insights into his experience of Portugal’s foreign policy, the country's policies towards its former colonies