Mark Vassallo Cesareo dubs P71 vessel delivery a ‘wonderful and momentous milestone’

Viroc International Limited Managing Director on Sunday shared his pleasure at having seen the P71 patrol vessel being successfully delivered to the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) last week.

The offshore patrol vessel, which is now the Maritime Squadron’s largest ever vessel, was constructed by Italian shipbuilding company Cantiere Navale Vittoria SpA. The P71, which is the AFM’s biggest investment ever at €53 million, co-financed by the European Union, was officially inaugurated on Wednesday.

Mr Vassallo Cesareo described the occasion as a “wonderful and momentous milestone” that has made him “extremely proud”.

“After a number of years working on this important and ambitious project, it fills me with great pride to have seen this project evolve accordingly,” he said.

“It started with a dream, then a bid, followed by years of planning, construction, learning to navigate through a pandemic, and finally delivering this new queen of the seas to the AFM,” he continued.

He added that it is “always an honour to be involved in securing projects of national importance”, particularly those that contribute to making Malta a “better and safer place”. Mr Vassallo Cesareo also remarked that it is an “absolute privilege” to have worked with Viroc International Limited’s long-time partners Cantiere Navale Vittoria, as well as with the AFM’s “hard-working team”.

Viroc International Limited continues to “endeavour to be the number one leading defence contractor of choice”, he said, and looks forward to “continuously strengthening” its position in the market, along with its relationships with partners, colleagues, and clients.

He concluded by thanking all the people from Cantiere Navale Vittoria and the AFM for “making this become a reality”, before wishing the ship and its crew “fair winds and following seas”.

Established in 1924, Viroc International Limited is one of Malta’s oldest trading companies, operating in the field of defence, telecommunications, and energy. Mr Vassallo Cesareo first joined the company in 2003 in its accounting and banking department, before he worked his way up the corporate ladder to Business Development Manager, and then to Managing Director, a role he has been entrusted with since 2013.