In September 2020 Malta opened its Diplomatic Mission in Tokyo following the arrival of His Excellency André Spiteri, Malta's first resident Ambassador to Japan. Having a presence in the third largest economy of the world is of vital importance for Malta, not only from a trade perspective, but also from a political, cultural and people-to-people aspect as well. Japan is one of Malta's largest trading partners and export destinations.
This is the culmination of strong bilateral relations between Malta and Japan, particularly following the visit of Prime Minister Abe to Malta in 2017 and the visit of Prime Minister Muscat to Japan in 2018 with a sizeable trade mission led by Trade Malta. This was followed by various political and economic exchanges, particularly the establishment of a Maltese-Japanese Parliamentary Friendship Group and the visit of the President of the Republic of Malta, H.E Dr. George W. Vella to Japan in 2019 for the Enthronement Ceremony of the Emperor of Japan.
The opening of the Maltese Embassy in Tokyo marks the completion of all EU Member States' presence in Japan. The Embassy will not only promote trade links between Malta and Japan, but will also work closely with the EU Delegation and other Member States in Japan to further create more visibility and awareness of the EU in Japan. The Embassy will also assist Japanese businesses to acquire more information about doing business in Malta and to further create commercial links with the smallest EU Member State.