Romfilatelia launched an issue of postage stamps dedicated to the anniversary of 90 years of diplomatic relations between Romania and the Sovereign Order of Malta, which was presented on Monday by the Ambassador of the Order, Roberto Musneci, according to Agerpres.

According to Romfilatelia, the topic chosen to illustrate the layouts of the joint issue had in mind the collaboration in the field of humanitarian assistance and numerous projects carried out by the Sovereign Order in our country in the field of medical assistance, disaster relief, support for the disabled, the elderly, the young, of Roma children and other categories of people in vulnerable conditions. Also, the Sovereign Order of Malta, through the Maltese Aid Service in Romania and the Romanian Association of the Order of Malta, has provided concrete support to our country in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, a press release from Romfilatelia sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday, reads.

The Ambassador of the Sovereign Order of Malta thanked Romfilatelia for the collaboration in making this issue of postage stamps.

The stamp with the nominal value of 10 RON depicts a joint action of the Maltese Aid Service in Romania and the Romanian firefighters during an urgent snow removal intervention.

On the stamp with the face value of 16 RON, volunteers of the Maltese Aid Service in Romania are presented while providing assistance to Ukrainian refugees at the border with Romania.

The first relations between the Romanian people and the Maltese Order date back to the 13th century when, through the Diploma of the Knights of Ioannidis, King Bela IV of Hungary invited them to settle in southwestern Banat. At the same time, historians consider that the first hospital on the current territory of Romania was founded by them in northwestern Oradea, long before the one in central Sibiu, whose documentary attestation dates back to 1292.

90 years ago, in 1932, the foundations were laid for the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations, at legation level, and on January 27, 1933, the first diplomatic representative of the Order, Count Michel de Pierredon, presented his credentials in Bucharest.

The relations ended in 1948, without being explicitly denounced by the parties, and in 1962 the Romanian Association of Members of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta was established, which will function in exile until 1991, the year in which bilateral relations are resumed, this time raised at the embassy level.

Agerpres