Visit by UK Chief of Defence Staff (General Sir David Richards)
24 July 2012
The UK Chief of the Defence Staff (UK CDS), General Sir David Richards, was in Malta between the 22nd and 24th of July where he had the opportunity to visit the Armed Forces of Malta and hold bilateral military-to-military talks with Commander AFM, Brigadier M G Xuereb.
Brigadier Xuereb noted that the AFM's association with the British Armed Forces was steeped in history, and the focus of this visit was to continue building on the excellent military-to-military relationships. Brigadier Xuereb also made particular reference to the current attendance by AFM officers at the officer formation training establishments in the UK, and to prior attendance at UK Staff courses at the advanced and higher levels.
As part of his visit to Malta, General Richards paid a courtesy call to the Prime Minister. The UK Chief of the Defence Staff paid tribute to Malta and its armed forces for its role during the Libyan Crisis, recognising that Malta provided a key contribution to the international community's efforts to alleviate the humanitarian situation in Libya. General Richards also spoke positively of the warm relations between both countries and their respective armed forces, as well as a desire to oversee further bilateral cooperation. Increasing links between the UK's armed forces and the AFM was beneficial for both countries.