Malta–Russia relations refers to
bilateral
Bilateral may refer to any concept including two sides, in particular:
*Bilateria, bilateral animals
*Bilateralism, the political and cultural relations between two states
*Bilateral, occurring on both sides of an organism ( Anatomical terms of l ...
foreign relations
A state's foreign policy or external policy (as opposed to internal or domestic policy) is its objectives and activities in relation to its interactions with other states, unions, and other political entities, whether bilaterally or through m ...
between
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
and
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
. Malta has an
embassy in Moscow and an honorary consulate in
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
. Russia has an embassy in
San Ġwann and cultural centre in
Valletta
Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an administrative unit and capital of Malta. Located on the main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, its population within administrative limits in 2014 wa ...
.
History
Relations between the two countries were established in 1698 by
Ramon Perellos y Roccaful, the Grand Master of the
Order of St. John, exactly a century before the
Order's expulsion from Malta.
From 1799 to 1800, the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
supported
Maltese rebels against the
French occupation of Malta.
In October 2016 Malta refused to refuel Russian warships that were on their way to participate in the war in Syria, leading in 2017 to concerns amongst intelligence services over possible Russian interference in the
2017 Maltese general election
General elections were held in Malta on Saturday, 3 June 2017 to elect all members of the House of Representatives.. The elections were contested by the Labour Party, led by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, the Nationalist Party, led by oppositi ...
. Increased cyber attacks took place against government systems in the run up to the election.
After the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. ...
started, Malta, as one of the EU countries, imposed sanctions on Russia, and Russia added all EU countries to the list of "
unfriendly nations".
In March 2022 Malta ceased selling passports to Russian and Belarusian citizens and later revoked a number of golden passports already issued. In October 2023 a two day Ukrainian peace event was held in Malta with 66 countries participating. This was the third in a series, the first two being similar meetings in Jeddah and Copenhagen. Russia did not attend and a Russian foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, criticised Malta for hosting a "blatantly anti-Russian event."
Trade
In 2021 Russia exported $2.1 billion of goods to Malta with $1.98 billion of refined fuel being the top product, Maltese exports were $17m in 2021. In 1995 Russian exports were $10m and have increased at an average of 22.7% per annum to 2021.
Malta's imports from Russia fell by 68% in 2022. In February 2023 the EU banned Russian refined oil, further decreasing Malta's trade with Russia.
Further reading
"Malta question"
Gallery
Russian embassy in Malta.jpeg, Embassy of Russia in San Ġwann, Malta
Russian Cultural Centre, Valletta.jpeg, Russian Cultural Centre in Valletta
Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an administrative unit and capital of Malta. Located on the main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, its population within administrative limits in 2014 wa ...
, Malta
See also
*
Foreign relations of Malta
After independence in 1964, Malta followed a policy of close co-operation with NATO countries. Since 1971, the country sought relations with the rest of the world, including communist countries in Eastern Europe and the non-aligned countries.
...
*
Foreign relations of Russia
The foreign relations of the Russian Federation is the policy arm of the government of Russia which guides its interactions with other nations, their citizens, and foreign organizations. This article covers the foreign policy of the Russian Fed ...
*
List of ambassadors of Russia to Malta
References
External links
Coordination Board of Russian Compatriots in MaltaMaltese representations in Russia Russian embassy in San Ġwann
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
Bilateral relations of Russia
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