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19.09.19 11 INTERVIEW for Malta/UK relationship confidence in them, and we are witnessing them function. Once the UK voted for Brexit, several commentators said that various British and multinational companies might decide to move from The City to other European financial centres. Amongst these destinations, Malta featured prominently as a possible solution for UK- based companies seeking to secure EU passporting access in a post-Brexit scenario. Are you aware of any multinationals that chose to move or open a subsidiary in Malta for this reason? It is no surprise that compa- nies have sought to manage the perceived risk of Brex- it and reviewed their struc- tures, including their access to passporting rights. e Maltese government has been in touch with UK companies and worked very hard to let them know that Malta is open to them for co-location. I am aware that some UK compa- nies, for example in finan- cial services, have looked at Malta, with perhaps the most well-publicised one being Bet365. is is understanda- ble, because Malta is a country where it is easy to do business. Another major advantage, of course, is that English is spo- ken in Malta. Many near-apocalyptic scenarios are being promoted as to the UK's possible fate outside of the EU. But, in fact, how does the UK plan to remain a top global player in many industries as it stands today? One principal reason for Brexit was to allow the UK to negotiate its own trade deals. With the EU, we want a friend- ly and constructive relation- ship in facing the challenges that lie ahead. It will be a re- lationship based on a deep Free Trade Agreement. Come Brexit, however, we will have left the customs union so we will have control of our own trade. On this particular point, we have already reached trade agreements with partners worth around £70 billion of current trade, and agreed in principle an agreement with South Korea which represents another £15 billion. Britain is the world's fifth largest economy and is num- ber one in Europe in terms of global investment. Currently, it attracts more investment in Artificial Intelligence than the rest of the EU, and lots of fund- ing is also going into research and development. is says a lot about Britain's global reach. Add to that the fact that the UK is the only country in the EU to spend more than 2% of its GDP on defence and 0.7% of GNI on overseas development assistance every year. Brexit will give Britain not only the additional freedom to pursue its own trade deals, but also to spread its values when it comes to human rights and democracy. is paints a picture of a country which is not retreating from the world but rather looking outwards. We've always been like this, and it will continue. A great example of our global ambition is our leadership on climate change. Only last week, the UK, in partnership with Italy, was officially nominat- ed to host COP26 in Glasgow by the UN Western European and Others Group (WEOG) in New York. is summit will put climate change and pro- tecting the environment at the heart of the multilateral agen- da. COP26 will be a turning point in the push for cleaner energy, a more resilient future and flourishing nature, and the mainstreaming of green finan- cial systems. What is your message to British expats in Malta, and to those many Maltese who chose to move to the UK for study or work? Are you confident that their lives won't be disrupted after Brexit? Lots of attention is being given to ensuring expats' lives continue unchanged, and we have been working very closely with the Maltese government on this. Joseph Muscat said he wanted Malta to be the most Brit-friendly country, and he has been true to his word. e Maltese government has put in place arrangements which will protect the rights of British nationals and there is a lot of information about this avail- able. Malta's government has created a very simple applica- tion which will be open for two years after Brexit and will grant British nationals 10 years' resi- dence in Malta, assuring them continued access to healthcare, social services, and so on. How important will the Commonwealth be in any post-Brexit scenario? Is the Commonwealth still relevant in today's globalised market? e Commonwealth will continue to be very important to both our countries after the UK leaves the EU. We are determined that it will carry on doing its great work. e Commonwealth is a family of 53 member states, each very different and representing a huge portion of the world's population. As two Commonwealth countries, we have much to do together. Take for example, human trafficking and mod- ern slavery, on which we are working very closely together. e scourge of modern slav- ery still claims 40 million vic- tims around the world. So, this is something the UK, Malta and the other Commonwealth countries must work together on. We can achieve a lot, and the UK is committed to seeing the Commonwealth thrive. Brexit will give Britain not only the additional freedom to pursue its own trade deals, but also to spread its values when it comes to human rights and democracy. This paints a picture of a country which is not retreating from the world but rather looking outwards. We've always been like this, and it will continue

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