Former ambassador Joe Cassar passes away, aged 70

Former ambassador Joe Cassar passed away yesterday at the age of 70.

Cassar was educated at St Joseph Secondary School, Paola, the Royal University of Malta and the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Milan, from where he graduated with a doctorate in political science with a specialisation in international affairs.

In 1982, he was appointed research assistant at the Academy of a Democratic Environment (AZAD). In 1985, he was appointed editorial director at Independence Press with overall responsibility for policy coordination.

Following the 1987 election, he was appointed acting information secretary of the Nationalist Party and later president of the administration council. A committee member of the PN St Julian’s section, he was elected to the PN executive committee in 1988.

In 1990, Cassar was appointed ambassador to Eastern Europe and later adviser to Guido de Marco, then Foreign Minister and President of the United Nations General assembly.

He was also ambassador to Albania and Italy, the Russian Federation and Libya.

He was married to Tanja Ferrante Darbois and they have two daughters – Mateja and Valentina.

In a statement, the Nationalist Party said Cassar was an expert diplomat who served Malta in several countries.

He was also the author of the book describing the Libyan revolution from Malta’s perspective.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion also expressed its deepest condolences to the family of Joseph Cassar, former Ambassador of Malta with a diplomatic career spanning three decades.