The Order of Malta and has taken a significant step in cementing its harmonious relationship with the United Kingdom, with the goal of creating new opportunities for, as well as enhancing its current efforts toward, charitable work and providing humanitarian assistance.
On 9 October at the Magistral Palace in Rome, Italy, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office formalised a partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
Signed by the Order’s Grand Chancellor and the UK Ambassador to the Holy See – in the presence of Grand Master Fra’ John Dunlap – the agreement initiates official relations through the exchange of representatives.
“This is a very significant step in the extension of the Order of Malta’s system of international relations,” notes the Order of Malta.
It explains that this “important agreement” will enable the Order to strengthen its joint commitment toward humanitarian activities in other countries, and toward emergency response situations along with cooperation in international development.
The Order has been particularly active recently in Ukraine and the Holy Land, with Ambassador Christopher Trott expressing his appreciation for the work of the Order in those conflict zones.
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“I am confident that this Memorandum will only enhance the already close bonds of friendship between the United Kingdom and the Sovereign Order of Malta, providing new occasions to work jointly for the fulfilment of our common objectives” states the Grand Master.
The MOU outlines areas of cooperation aimed at strengthening bilateral dialogue on a range of critical issues, including crisis management, international humanitarian assistance and disaster response.
Key focus areas include public health, refugee assistance, climate adaptation and cooperation in providing humanitarian aid.
“I am confident that the new perspectives offered by this innovative instrument, such as a structural dialogue between our Foreign Ministries, the designation of Official Representatives and the possible implementation of joint humanitarian activities in third countries, will open a new chapter in the history of the long-standing relations existing between the United Kingdom and the Order of Malta”, states the Grand Chancellor of the Order of Malta, Riccardo Paternò di Montecupo.
The agreement is the latest milestone in a long history of friendship and cooperation between the Order of Malta and the British authorities. In 2018, the then Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, visited an Order of Malta project in Romania supporting over 100 underprivileged children of Roma origins.
The British arm of the Order, including the Grand Priory of England (established in 1144 and restored in 1993) and the British Association (established in 1875), continues to engage in charitable activities across the UK.
It is particularly active in the area of care for the elderly and currently runs over 70 residential homes across the UK specialising in the treatment of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Other activities run by the Order include pilgrimages, soup kitchens for the homeless, and services like the “Order of Malta Dial a Journey” programme, which provides assisted transport for the disabled in central Scotland.
Photo: (left) Ambassador Christopher Trott, (centre) Grand Master Fra’ John Dunlap, (right) Grand Chancellor of the Order of Malta Riccardo Paternò di Montecupo. (Credit: Order of Malta.)
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