Relations between Malta and the U.S.A., 1964-1969 : a first study of the original correspondence in diplomatic relations

Abstract

Throughout my course of studies, I was always interested in the application of the art of diplomacy by different nations in different circumstances. When I had to choose a topic for my dissertation, I immediately settled for the analysis of diplomatic relations between Malta, a newly independent nation-state, and the United States of America, one of the superpowers in the bi-polar setup which characterised the era: the Cold War, in the five year period following Malta's independence. The main means I used to reach this goal was the original correspondence. I have tried to supplement this information by other primary and secondary sources as best I could. As may be envisaged from the Contents, firstly I focussed on the opening of a Maltese embassy in Washington and on American representation in Malta. This leads to an analysis of Dr. George Borg Olivier's visits to the U.S. from 1963 to 1969. Here the only exception was the year 1968 in which the Premier failed to visit the U.S. due to the fact that he was in Asia while the UN General Assembly was taking place. The thesis then examines the requests brought forward by the Maltese government especially with regard to technical and financial assistance within various fields. Initiations in commerce and industry between the two nation-states are considered, together with the signing and the suspension of the Investment Guarantee Agreement, which is thoroughly discussed. Finally, there is a discussion about the presence of the Sixth Fleet and of NATO vessels in Maltese harbours. A conclusion provides a brief overview of the diplomatic relations between Malta and the U.S. as shown in this study. As already noted, this is the first time that access has been granted to these diplomatic exchanges. It is worth noting that although some files are listed in the card index, they are not traceable. Furthermore, some of the documents within the available files concern the 1970s. Due to the fact that this dissertation focuses on the years 1964-1969, these documents were not analysed. Unfortunately, due to the word limit and time constraints, some mformat10n had to be left out. I intend to use this information for future projects.