New Delhi [India], February 10 (ANI): Rachita Bhandari, of the Indian Foreign Service batch 2005, presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Malta, a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said.

Bhandari is expected to take up the assignment shortly, the statement said.

India and Malta enjoy friendly and cordial relations. India was one of the first countries to recognise the independence of Malta in 1964 and established diplomatic relations with it in 1965.

The High Commission of India was reopened in Malta in Jan 2017 and the resident High Commissioner of India took charge in Jan 2018. Malta opened its High Commission in New Delhi in July 2007 and has Honorary Consuls in Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai.

India-Malta bilateral relations have been friendly, with a number of visits having been exchanged between the two sides, as per MEA.

A cultural agreement between India and Malta was signed in 1992 and remains in force. Cultural events such as film festivals, food festivals, and performances by Indian cultural troupes have been organised by the High Commission. There is a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Malta, gifted by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

Malta Post issued Commemorative Stamps on the occasion of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The International Day of Yoga is being regularly celebrated in Malta. The Indian musical band 'Astitva', sponsored by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations, participated at the Destination North festival in September 2023 in a first such visit by a cultural troupe from India to Malta in many years, MEA stated.

The High Commission organised the Indian Film Festival on 16-17 March 2024 in Valletta and on 11-14 April 2024 in Gozo. In partnership with the Indian community, the High Commission organises various Indian festivals in Malta.

The Indian community in Malta is estimated to be around 18,000. The Indian diaspora in Malta has grown rapidly in recent years. In addition to the health care sector, the other sectors employing Indians include the Hospitality Industry, the Construction sector, the IT sector and related services. Several Indian Associations like Malta Malayalee Association, Malta Tamil Association, Bengali Association Malta, Gujarati Association and Navodaya Sanatan Group have been formed in recent years. (ANI)