Malta and the United Kingdom underpinned their close relationship at a meeting between Foreign Minister Ian Borg and British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
The two countries said in a joint statement that they enjoy a longstanding partnership with mutual cooperation in various sectors, and they look forward to further developing a Bilateral Co-operation Plan on defence between the Armed Forces of Malta and the UK Ministry of Defence, signed in April.
That agreement, they said, laid the foundation for a stronger, more robust defence relationship between all branches of the respective militaries.
“The UK and Malta have long benefited from close defence and security ties, reinforced by the mutual provision of armed forces’ training, and regular support to UK overseas operations enablement,” the statement reads.
“In 2024-2025, Malta supported Royal Naval ships visits, for routine logistical support and a successful trial for longer-term maintenance, whilst deployed. Regular visits by Royal Air Force aircraft facilitate the UK Armed Forces’ ability to operate globally.
“The UK also continued to deliver military training for Maltese officers at the Single Service Officer Training Schools. The UK is pleased to assist Malta’s participation in the NATO Partnership for Peace programme.
“In April 2025, the UK and Malta signed a wide-ranging Bilateral Co-operation Plan on defence between the Armed Forces of Malta and UK Ministry of Defence. This laid the foundation for a stronger, more robust defence relationship between all branches of our respective militaries which we look forward to developing further in the coming years.”
In their joint statement the two countries said they enjoy a longstanding partnership, underpinned by the (2023) UK-Malta Bilateral Cooperation Framework. The two governments remained committed to tackling shared challenges, including threats to peace in Europe and irregular migration.
The two countries observed that they cooperated closely in international institutions and shared common views on major international developments.
They supported the two-state solution in the Middle East, recognition of a Palestinian state, and solidarity with Ukraine in the face of Russia’s war of aggression.
“The UK and Malta agree to continue discussions on how to hold Russia to account in international institutions, including through sanctions and in the Council of Europe, where, under Malta’s 2025 Presidency, key initiatives such as the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine and the Register of Damages were advanced.”
The two countries said they aspire to facilitate an ambitious, dynamic UK-EU relationship which meets the needs of their citizens, including through the swift implementation of the Common Understanding – “A renewed agenda for European Union – United Kingdom cooperation” – and the UK-EU Security and Defence Partnership.
As Commonwealth partners, the UK and Malta were also committed to working together particularly to bring about economic, democratic, and environmental resilience, and to support preparations for the next CHOGM.
Migration
The statement says the UK and Malta will continue to deepen cooperation on the external dimension of migration, underpinned by the UK-Malta Migration Dialogue.
The two countries will continue to share information and best practice to tackle irregular migration; modern slavery, human smuggling and trafficking; and financial crime.
People-to-people links
The UK and Malta also reiterated the importance of supporting and promoting meaningful people-to-people links between both countries.
Among other things, they agreed to have regular exchanges to ensure the smooth and effective implementation of the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme, the EU European Entry/Exit System (EES) and European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).