Malta: Politics and Government
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to advance formal diplomatic recognition since the signing of the memorandum of understanding with the Sovereign Order of Malta.
Answered by Stephen Doughty
Our Ambassador to the Holy See, Christopher Trott, is the Government's primary interlocutor with the Order of Malta. He regularly meets representatives from the Order including in the run-up to Their Majesties the King and Queen's historic State Visit to the Holy See. The Order has also appointed an official representative to the UK, Pasquale Terracciano. Officials from the Foreign, Commowealth and Development Office's Europe Directorate, which has responsibility for the UK's relations with the Holy See, have also met the Order representative since the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) in October 2024.
This MoU provides a framework for a modern, pragmatic partnership that champions the exchange of knowledge, expertise and good practice on humanitarian and development issues, without changing our position on the Order's sovereign status. Our missions across the globe have been encouraged to engage in this spirit.
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