On 18 March 2021, His Excellency Ray Azzopardi, Ambassador of Malta to Belgium, accompanied by the Deputy Head of Mission and representatives from the Administration Unit of the Permanent Representation of Malta to the EU welcomed Mr Bart Raeymaekers, Director-General, National Crisis Centre Belgium (NCCN) accompanied with Ms Linda Schweiger, Director International Affairs, and Ms Kim Schildermans, Attaché International Affairs, at the premises of Malta House.

DG Raeymaekers explained the initiative of the Belgian National Crisis Centre, with the support of the other Benelux countries, to launch a Network of Directors-General of European Crisis Centres.  This would establish a network aiming to be mutually informed of the challenges confronting the different crisis centres, to share existing expertise and experiences and to support each other in the implementation of common and coherent solutions.  The Covid-19 crisis has proven the necessity to develop greater consultation and coordination between the crisis management authorities of European countries. 

Following confirmation received from the competent authority, Ambassador Azzopardi delightedly announced that Malta’s Civil Protection Department, headed by DG Emanuel Psaila, has confirmed its willingness to join the Network of Directors-General of European Crisis Centres.  Ambassador Azzopardi took pride in confirming the Embassy’s efforts in bridging this close collaboration between the Maltese Civil Protection Department and the National Crisis Centre Belgium and to closely cooperate on crisis management, bilaterally.