Chinese embassy funds training of four new service dogs in Malta<\/p>\n
A donation from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China will fund the training of four new service dogs to be provided to beneficiaries in Malta, following the signing of an agreement with the Malta Service Dogs Foundation, a statement said.<\/p>\n
The agreement was signed at San Anton Palace on Tuesday during a ceremony presided over by President Myriam Spiteri Debono.<\/p>\n
The agreement was signed by Chinese Ambassador Zhang Zuo and Malta Service Dogs Foundation founder, vice-chairperson and operations manager Joseph Stafrace.<\/p>\n
The donation will provide the funding required for the foundation to train four new service dogs, which will then be donated to four individuals who will benefit from their assistance and be able to live more independently, the statement said.<\/p>\n
The ceremony was also attended by Permanent Secretary for Foreign and European Affairs Christopher Cutajar, as well as representatives of the embassy and the foundation.<\/p>\n
Addressing the event, Ambassador Zhang thanked President Spiteri Debono for introducing the embassy to the organisation and for her continued support of Malta-China relations.<\/p>\n
The ambassador described the agreement as a gesture of friendship from the Chinese people towards the Maltese people and said it reflected a shared commitment to public welfare and charitable causes.<\/p>\n
He added that China looked forward to further strengthening the longstanding friendship between the two countries.<\/p>\n
President Spiteri Debono welcomed the agreement and expressed satisfaction that contact initiated by the Office of the President between the embassy and the Malta Service Dogs Foundation had led to the donation.<\/p>\n
She spoke of the foundation’s work in supporting people who are blind or visually impaired and said the donation would help ensure that four beneficiaries are better able to integrate fully into society with the assistance of service dogs in their daily lives, the statement said.<\/p>\n