Presenting the book, “Council of Europe Malta Presidency”, highlighting 15 cultural events and 55 policy events in Malta and Strasbourg during its Presidency of the Committee of Ministers (May-November 2025), Ambassador and Permanent representative of Malta, Ambassador Francesca Camilleri Vettiger says:
“For Malta, as a small country located between the north and the south, the west and the east, it was an opportunity to show that we can be a neutral and honest broker and able to advance dialogue and cooperation among the member states. We are natural bridge builders, I would say”.
Malta aimed to capture the visual legacy of its presidency in the book: “We wanted to capture the essence, the outcomes, the spirit and the achievements, through messages, photos of all the high-level visits in Malta, the different conferences and events, including cultural activities with prominent Maltese artists.”
One of the highlights was the opening ceremony of the cultural programme of Malta, held at the public university in Strasbourg.
“It was particularly special because our artists created a presidency anthem for the occasion. We had some of the top Maltese singers coming together and, for many colleagues, it was the first time they could appreciate Maltese music and hear our language.”
Another highlight of the presidency was the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, here at the Council of Europe. “With the signing of the bilateral agreement to establish a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, the Council of Europe could show that it steps up in creative ways to find solutions to help the Ukrainian people in the unfortunately ongoing struggles that they’re still facing with the Russian Federation’s continuing brutal attacks.”
Three ministerial conferences were organised in Malta. One was on children’s rights, to combat sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children. The second was the Justice Ministerial, where the Valletta Protocol was opened for signature. The third ministerial conference was on youth participation and empowering young people.
- Read the book “Council of Europe Malta Presidency”
- Watch the video with Ambassador Francesca Camilleri Vettiger
- The Maltese ‘Presidency Anthem’ entitled ‘One by One’ can be accessed here.
