VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – President Myriam Spiteri Debono has called on countries with greater international influence to take greater responsibility for pursuing lasting peace, warning that ongoing conflicts show that “war has no victors, only losers”.
Speaking at a commemoration marking the 84th anniversary of Operation Pedestal, the Santa Marija Convoy, the President said remembering past sacrifices was meaningless unless lessons were learned from them.
She said the aftermath of the two world wars had demonstrated the need to build a future based on peace, freedom, cooperation between nations and respect for human dignity.
Referring to the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, Spiteri Debono said the end of fighting did not necessarily mean peace.
She noted that countries emerging from conflict faced the reconstruction of infrastructure, restoration of stability and the difficult task of overcoming hatred and longstanding divisions.
Security, she said, should not be viewed solely in military terms, as people should not continue living in fear, uncertainty and deprivation after peace agreements are reached.
The President also highlighted the importance of freedom of passage through the Strait of Hormuz, warning that disruption could affect global energy supplies and increase the prices of fuel.
Such consequences could raise shipping, transport and manufacturing costs, drive up food prices and inflation, slow economic growth and affect living standards, she said.
“Might is not the mother of Right,” Spiteri Debono said, stressing that greater political influence brought greater responsibility and should not lead to domination or imposition.
She also pointed to Europe’s heatwaves as another challenge requiring international cooperation.
Turning to Malta’s role, the President said the Constitution commits the country to peace and international cooperation.
Malta’s contribution, she said, was increasingly defined by its willingness to promote dialogue, strengthen cooperation and place human dignity at the centre of its actions.
She concluded that the sacrifices remembered during Operation Pedestal should remind every generation that peace cannot be taken for granted and must be protected and strengthened.
– photo Department of Information –
(ITALPRESS).
