Valletta [Malta], October 8 :  VFS Global and the Government of Malta have signed a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) to expand their longstanding partnership into citizen and consular services, skills assessment and workforce development, according to a VFS Global press release issued on Thursday.
The JDI brings together Malta's Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs (MFEA), Identità, the country's identity management agency, and the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS) under an enhanced framework of cooperation.
The agreement was signed by Christopher Cutajar on behalf of the MFEA, Col. Edric Zahra on behalf of Identità, Pierre Fenech on behalf of ITS, and Zubin Karkaria, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of VFS Global, on behalf of the company.
The JDI was signed on the sidelines of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit in Malta, in the presence of WTTC President and CEO Gloria Guevara and senior representatives from the participating organisations.
The expanded partnership builds on VFS Global's existing cooperation with the Government of Malta and Identità, which currently covers short-stay and long-stay visa services and skills assessment.
Under the new framework, the parties will collaborate on citizen and consular support services for Maltese nationals residing overseas, expanded skills assessment services and facilitation of a skilled and verified workforce to support Malta's employment needs across key economic sectors.
The partnership will also include collaboration on initiatives aimed at positioning Malta as a preferred destination for international education, the release said.
Welcoming the expansion, the Government of Malta said the agreement strengthens service delivery for Maltese citizens while supporting the country's evolving workforce requirements.
Zubin Karkaria, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, VFS Global, said, “Our partnership with the Government of Malta has evolved significantly since it began in 2008, and this MoU marks an important new chapter in that journey.”
“The expansion of our collaboration into citizen services for Maltese nationals overseas and skills development across strategic sectors reflects the confidence placed in VFS Global as a trusted partner,” he said.
“We are proud to support Malta's ambitions to strengthen global mobility, deepen engagement with its diaspora, and build a future-ready workforce,” Karkaria added.
VFS Global has been a partner of the Government of Malta since 2008 and currently provides visa services on its behalf in 73 countries through a network of 155 dedicated Visa Application Centres worldwide, according to the press release.
The company clarified that its role in the visa application process is limited to front-end administrative tasks, including collecting application forms and required documents and enrolling biometrics. Decisions to grant or refuse visas remain the sole responsibility of the concerned Embassy or Identità.