Paris, 23 feb ( EFE).-the European Space Agency (ESA) reported today that it has extended its network of collaboration in Europe with the signing of a new agreement of cooperation with Malta which aims to intensify relations between the parties.

Agreement was signed on Monday and is part of the process of rapprochement of the new countries of the European Union, ESA, as they show similar negotiations reached with Romania, the Czech Republic, Hungary or Poland.

The communiqué noted that this new partnership began to take shape in 2004 and are the priority areas of research for the Government of Malta telecommunications, satellites and the engineering of high level, such as nanotechnology.

Maltese Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, explained that the agreement provides “new opportunities for research” for students and researchers, access to equipment of last generation and the possibility of establishing contacts with scientists from ESA.

Malta joined the Intergovernmental Group on Earth observations in 2009, from 2011 participates in the meetings of the States not members of ESA and is part of a training project that enables the Agency to be nourished of collaborators from that country. EFE