George William Vella

The Honourable George William Vella MP
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 March 2013
Prime Minister	Joseph Muscat
Preceded by	Francis Zammit Dimech
In office 28 October 1996 – 6 September 1998
Prime Minister	Alfred Sant
Preceded by	Guido de Marco
Succeeded by	Guido de Marco
Deputy Prime Minister of Malta
In office 28 October 1996 – 6 September 1998
Prime Minister	Alfred Sant
Preceded by	Guido de Marco
Succeeded by	Guido de Marco
Deputy Leader of the Labour Party
In office 26 March 1992 – 23 May 2003
Leader	Alfred Sant
Preceded by	Joseph Brincat
Succeeded by	Charles Mangion
Personal details
Born	(1942-04-24) 24 April 1942 Żejtun, Malta
Political party	Labour Party (1978–present)
Spouse(s)	Miriam Grima
Children	3
Religion	Roman Catholicism

George William Vella (born 24 April 1942) is a Maltese politician and physician. He has served as Malta's Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2013; previously he held that same post from 1996 to 1998.

Political life

He joined the Labour Party (PL) and he started his parliamentary career in 1978. He was subsequently elected member of parliament at the general elections held in 1981, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2008 and 2013 . As a Member of Parliament, he represents the 3rd District.

In 1978, he was a substitute member of the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe and rapporteur on maritime pollution from maritime sources at the Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE). In 1987, he served as Malta's permanent representative at the Council of Europe between January and May. In 1992, he was elected Labour Party deputy leader for parliamentary affairs and spokesperson on foreign affairs. He served as vice chairman of the Joint EU/Malta Parliamentary Committee.

In 1995 and 1996, Vella was a member of the House Business Committee and the Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Committee. During his political career, he led many delegations abroad and attended numerous conferences and seminars; he delivered speeches, mostly on foreign affairs and the environment, in Strasbourg, Aachen, London, Brussels, Paris, Moscow, Cairo, Damascus, and Tripoli. He was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Environment in October 1996, but lost that position after the 1998 election.

Family

Vella was born in Zejtun in 1942. He is married to Miriam (née Grima); the couple has two daughters and a son.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to George William Vella.

• George William Vella's official page in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Malta)