As a retired UK civil servant I am often quite amused by the Maltese interest in the UK’s affairs. Like Her Majesty, I have a soft spot for the island and its people. I had noticed the Maltese interest in Brexit in your local press and I was surprised at the shock in Malta following the outcome of the UK referendum. I was not quite sure why the Maltese were so concerned or expressed feelings of sorrow and anger for and at the people of Britain but the outcome in the UK was clear, if close.

The relationship between Britain and Malta has had its ups and downs. I had hoped that the scars of the 1950, 1960 and 1970 periods had been put to bed in the history books. Seemingly not, judging by the remarks of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat on October 5.

Dr Muscat was quoted as telling Politico magazine: “Britain will be treated like Greece and can expect to face a united front from the EU’s 27 remaining countries during the Brexit negotiations next year.”

Next year Malta will hold the EU presidency, so obviously Dr Muscat is a man Theresa May and the people of the UK must now deal with.

Part of me hoped that Dr Muscat had been misreported but he then appeared on UK television during a recent EU summit to say much the same thing but without the reference to Greece. I find it hard to understand why Dr Muscat has such views. The UK government assisted Malta during the period it was seeking to gain membership of the EU. I played a small part in this process. I had assumed we were dealing with and assisting friends but obviously I was wrong.

I suspect that whatever happens, Malta will continue to have a working relationship with the UK. Many people born in Malta live in Britain and legally voted in our referendum. There are family ties which go back a long way and also fellow Commonwealth membership.

There is, for instance, a joint health agreement between the UK and Malta, which pre-dates Malta’s EU membership and allows serious medical cases to come to Britain for treatment. I recall some of such cases.

There are many other ties that join us and they will continue as they too pre-date Malta’s EU membership. UK governments have also respected Malta’s neutrality in matters of foreign affairs. I may think that Malta’s foreign policy is wrong but I respect it. I do wonder how that policy will survive the wishes of the EU and its High Representative for Foreign Affairs for a common defence force and a common foreign policy. I will leave the Maltese people to resolve that question within their own democratic processes.