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VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Financial Action Task Force confirmed that Malta has addressed or largely addressed the action plan at the technical level following the decision taken in June 2021 by the FATF to include Malta in its list of countries under enhanced monitoring referred as the “grey list”.
Malta is the first and only EU country listed in the grey-listed by the global anti-money laundering watchdog. In an action plan agreed with the FATF, Malta made a political commitment to focus its financial intelligence capabilities on tax evasion and money laundering and increase transparency on anonymous shell companies.
The FATF said that Malta has substantially completed its action plan and started implimenting anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing. Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela and Finance Minister Clyde Caruana said that a delegation of the Financial Action Task Force) will be visiting Malta to verify the action taken by the government in its attempts to be struck off the FATF’s grey list. The delegation is expected to visit Malta during the first half of the year. Abela said that the FATF will be able to see that Malta is taking the necessary steps to address its shortcomings, while the country remains cautious and works silently but surely to show it is a serious jurisdiction.
(ITALPRESS).

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – A luxury yacht owned by Russian oligrach Maxim Shubarev, 59, entered Malta on Friday morning. Shubarev bought the Maltese citizenship in 2018. The Maltese government is under pressure for allowing the yacht with some 10 people onboard entering into the port of Valletta despite international sanctions on Russian oligarchs.

The Russian millionaire Maxim Shubarev bought his 70-metre superyacht registered in Malta last year. The Polaris sailed from Viareggio in Italy. However, Shubarev and his companies are not yet on the international list of sanctioned oligarchs and companies in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Shubarev is the chairman of Setl Group, a leading Russian construction and real estate company based in St Petersburg. His net worth is estimated at $500 million.

Shubarev is also a shareholder of Polaris Malta Ltd and Polaris Charter Ltd, two companies incorporated in 2016. The two companies’ registered addresses are in St Julian’s and Valletta.

He is also chairman of the committee on housing and civil engineering of Russiàs National Association of Construction Companies. In 2019, Shubarev was pictured with Russian president Vladimir Putin at a judo awards ceremony.

Since the beginning of the Russian war on Ukraine, a number of luxury yachts owned by Russian oligarchs have been seized in European countries. This week, France seized a yacht linked to Russian oil company Rosneft boss, Igor Sechin, in the Mediterranean port of La Ciotat. In the meantime, German authorities denied reports they had also seized the $600m superyacht belonging to Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov.
(ITALPRESS).

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – During these last two days, tens of Ukrainians arrived in Malta after they were forced to leave their country due to the Russian invasion. Heart broken relatives were waiting for their loved ones at the Malta International Airport.

Upon her arrival in Malta, an Ukrainian woman described the situation in her home country as horrible and the trauma caused by the fighting and waking up to explosions. She added that together with others fleeing the war stayed 12 hours on the border with Poland.

A 16 year old Ukrainian said that her brother has joined the army to fight the Russian forces invading the country and her relatives were left behind. She affirmed that the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a hero adding she feels so proud of the Ukrainian President and fighters defending the country. However she added “a lot of children are dying for nothing. A lot of children have become orphans.”

More Ukrainian refugees are expected to arrive next week. Maltese government officials confirmed that ten families of 30 people will arrive from Poland.

Meanwhile, non-governmental organizations have called for donations for needy Ukrainian families. The Ukrainian community has managed to collect large quantities of essential goods and items that will be sent to Ukraine in the coming days. Anna Syurma, who is the assistant of the Ukrainian Consulate in Malta, thanked the Maltese for their generosity towards the Ukrainian people. She said that medicines are the most crucial at the moment.

It is estimated that over one million people have been displaced by the Russian invasion.

(ITALPRESS).

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese government has caved in to pressure and demands from the European Union and the United States to stop the cash for passports scheme for Russian citizens.
Until Monday, Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela ignored calls by the Nationalist Opposition and the civil society to suspend the scheme for Russians, refused to divulge the names of Russians who have already acquired the Maltese citizenship through the cash for passport scheme and declared that the scheme is subject to thorough and strict procedures. But in less than 24 hours, a government’ statement said that due to “recent developments” – without mentioning the Russian invasion of Ukraine – the necessary due diligence process cannot be done in an effective manner. The government’s statement said that the Community Malta Agency and the Residency Malta Agency have suspended, until further notice, the processing of both Maltàs citizenship-by-investment scheme as well as a residency through investment scheme applications coming from nationals of the Russian Federation and Belarus.
The Maltese government said that the renewal of applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis and subject to fresh due diligence process.
The Maltese government said no beneficiaries or applicants to acquire the Maltese citizenship or residence are on the EU Sanctions List.
Meanwhile the members of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) will be offering free accommodation covering the quarantine period required by law for Ukrainian asylum seekers. MHRA will also offer support to Ukrainian asylum seekers in finding jobs across the hospitality sector.
Meantime the Migrants Commission and the Archdiocese of Malta launched a humanitarian home-hosting initiative open to homeless migrants and refugees who have been forced to flee their countries like the Ukrainians.
(ITALPRESS).

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese government is challenging the European Union’s appeal to stop the selling of Maltese passports to rich Russians, and instead is insisting the the golden passaport scheme is subject to a thorough and strict procedure.

Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela is also refusing to divulge the list of Russian citizens who have purchased the Maltese citizenship through the golden passports scheme. The Nationalist opposition, the civil society and anti-money laundering experts are raising concerns about this, especially in the view that the European Union is imposing sanctions on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.

Meanwhile the Maltese governing is offering humanitairan assistance to Ukranian nationals who are fleeing from Russiàs invasion. Prime Minister Robert Abela announced that the Maltese governement will be offereing oncology services to Ukrainians fleeing the country. “The services will be offered to Ukrainian nationals who have already started chemo or radiation therapy,” expalained Abela.

However, the Nationalist oppostion is calling the government to open the Maltese borders to Ukrainian refugees. Nationalist MEP David Casa who was addressing a political activity as part of the electoral campaign declared: “We cannot be neutral when we see people needlessly dying.” Casa added: “we must open our doors wide open for elderly people who are suffering in Ukraine as the likes of Italy, Slovakia and Romania are doing.”

Meanwhile, Ukrainian nationals returned to Valletta once again protesting and calling for an end to Russiàs invasion of their home country.

(ITALPRESS).

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta has joined other European countries in banning Russiàs aircraft from its airspace in the wake of the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
The airspace bans are forcing Russian aircraft to take increasingly circuitous routes to their destinations – provided these destinations haven’t been closed to them in the first place. They are also restricting travel to Russiàs Kaliningrad exclave, which lies between Lithuania and Poland.
Maltàs decision was confirmed by maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela, who said that the government was taking the action in full solidarity with Ukraine.
But the government has been resisting the introduction of another measure in line with the sanctions being imposed on Russia: the sale of golden passports to Russian citizens.
(ITALPRESS).

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – In view of the dramatic situation in Ukraine, the Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela and his government are under constant pressure to take a clear position and unequivocal stand on Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Leader of the Opposition and Nationalist Party Leader Bernard Grech and Independent candidate Arnold Cassola declared separately that it is completely unjustifiable that the Malta police removed and cleaned up flowers and candles from outside the Russian embassy immediately after the protest held on Friday evening. Grech said the Labour government has failed to suspend Russian applications for Maltàs golden passport scheme and described as “shameful” the order given to the police to remove protest symbols placed in front of the Russian embassy in Kappara on Friday.
Independent candidate Cassola said that the Malta police should not be the street cleaners for Valdimir Putin. Rather they should be guardians for the peoplès right to protest against a fascist despot. He asked the Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri for a full explanation. In his appeal to the Maltese Premier, Cassola added that the Maltese government should ban Russian flights from Malta airspace, vote for Russia to be excluded from SWIFT and strip all Russian oligarchs of Maltese citizenship.
Meanwhile, Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi revealed that on Saturday a private jet left Moscow and after a short stop in Cyprus and Malta, went to Montenegro. On his Facebook page, Azzopardi asked Maltese PM Robert Abela to give more details about this development and asked if there were any Russians onboard being helped to evade the international sanctions.
For the third consecutive night, Ukrainians in Malta, along with other peace activists have returned to Valletta protesting Russiàs invasion of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian community in Malta called on the Maltese government to offer “any kind of support” which could be either financial or political, and which would be very helpful for the Ukrainians.
“Excluding Ukraine from the dark red list would make it easier for Ukrainians to come over without any restrictions,” some protesters explained, in reference to Maltàs adopted system during the pandemic and which classifies countries according to Covid-19 related risks and imposes different restrictions.
(ITALPRESS).

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) -A sizeable crowd of protesters representing several Maltese NGOs, the civil society and others mostly Ukrainians living in Malta showed up infront of the Russian Embassy in Kappara holding candles and posters calling for peace and solidarity with the Ukranian nation.
This was the second protest organised in Malta against the invasion by Russia of its neighbouring country following the protest organised in Valletta two days ago calling for Putin to stop the invasion and the bombings by the Russian forces.
In a letter addressed to the Russian Ambassador in Malta Andrey Lopukhov, the protestors asked the Russian authorities to call back their military forces and leave Ukraine.
Repubblikàs President Robert Aquilina stressed; “we condemn the ambition, greed and cruelty of those Russian rulers who think that they do not need to respect international law and the obligation for mutual respect between neighbouring peoples.” Aquilina appealed to the Russian ambassador to bring to the attention of his government and armed forces Maltàs message of good will, so that Russia chooses the road to peace.
Meanwhile, the Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela who is campaigning for the next general election is under immense pressure from the Opposition and the six civil society organisations calling on his government to halt the sale of passports to rich Russians in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. On Thursday, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola called on countries to stop the “dangerous phenomenon” of so-called golden passports that provide a “backdoor to European citizenship”. Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela has so far avoided taking the step of stopping Russian nationals from buying Maltese citizenship, claiming the due diligence process is “robust”. But the Leader of the Nationalist Opposition Bernard Grech said Malta should take a stand on the Ukrainian crisis and stop all applications for the ‘golden passports’ by Russian citizens. He said many Russian nationals have bought Maltese passports without being properly vetted, which has tarnished Maltàs reputation “and now prime minister Robert Abela is putting Maltàs security at peril.”
Russians have been among the best clients in the Individual Investor Programme that has generated millions for Maltàs economy. Last year, the Passport Papers revealed that the Russians accounted for 37 per cent of successful applicants.
In another development, the Maltese government confirmed that Malta will be sending humanitarian assistance mainly medical supplies to the Ukrainian people. Home affairs minister Byron Camilleri confirmed process used by the Department of Civil Protection to assist foreign countries in urgent need of humanitarian aid was underway.
(ITALPRESS).