U.S. Embassy in Malta

U.S. – MALTA PARTNERSHIP Mediterranean Security The U.S. Government recognizes that the Mediterranean has long been a global crossroads, and this remains as true today as it was thousands of years ago, connecting Europe and Africa, North and South, East and West. Malta’s strategic position underlines its role as one of our key international partners in finding solutions to issues of global transnational importance, such as money laundering, weapons proliferation, climate change, energy security, trafficking in drugs and persons, migration, and protecting our borders. For this reason, since 1998, the U.S. government has provided more than $3 million in assistance to Malta, funding training, equipment, and export control guidance to the Maltese Customs Department and additional Maltese government agencies involved in export control, border security, and non-proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction. Using U.S.-provided equipment, the Maltese Customs Department inspects an increasing number of shipping containers and has seized items such as counterfeit cigarettes and other consumer products, and money. The U.S. Government and the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) also enjoy an enduring partnership. Through dialogue, training programs, and bilateral exercises, the U.S. Embassy in Malta and the AFM collaborate to uphold safety of life at sea, maritime security, and freedom of navigation in the Mediterranean. The U.S. Embassy in Malta assisted with the creation of the AFM’s Maritime Safety and Security Training Center (MSSTC), which offers training in search and rescue (SAR) operations to countries in the Mediterranean, especially North Africa. The MSSTC is modelled on the U.S. Coast Guard’s National SAR School in Yorktown, Virginia, which is widely regarded as the world’s premier source for SAR instruction. The AFM sends between three to five soldiers per year to the U.S. Coast Guard’s SAR School and every three to five years the U.S. Coast Guard sends SAR experts to Malta’s MSSTC. Human Rights Protection and Societal Dialogue and Shared Values Through an enduring dialogue, collaboration, and educational and cultural programs, the U.S. Embassy in Malta works with the Maltese authorities and civil society to promote shared values such as individual freedom, human rights, and rule of law. Besides highlighting issues such as combatting trafficking in persons, promoting religious freedom, supporting the integration of migrants into Maltese society, promoting women’s rights, fighting domestic violence, and promoting freedom of the press, the U.S. Embassy continues to work with Maltese authorities to advocate and promote rule of law. U.S. Maltese Trade and Investment The U.S. Embassy in Malta offers various services to promote and facilitate U.S. trade in Malta. Services include business counseling, business partner searches, trade disputes and advocacy, a list of U.S. export assistance centers, tenders, and networking opportunities. A U.S.-Malta Double Taxation Agreement (DTA) was reached in 2011.