Italy-Malta: Sammartino nominated new ambassador to Valletta
Rome - Mario Sammartino is Italy's new ambassador to Malta. It was announced by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, following approval of the Maltese Government. Born in Naples in 1956, Mario Sammartino graduated in Law in 1983 in Milan. In 1985, he began his diplomatic career and held a position at the Directorate for Development Cooperation. His career abroad began in 1986 at the Embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and continued in Dortmund, Germany. In 1994, he was transferred to Mar del Plata, once again as Consul. Upon returning to the Farnesina in 1995, he was assigned to the Directorate General for Development Cooperation. In 2000, he returned to work abroad in Rabat, Morocco and, in 2004, he was sent as an ambassador to Libreville, Gabon. In 2007, he returned to Rome, where he worked at the General Directorate of Sub-Saharan Africa. He was later appointed Deputy Director General for Development Cooperation with functions related to the planning and implementation of cooperation programs and, in 2012, he took on the role of ambassador to Kuala Lumpur.