I would like to explain to US Ambassador Douglas Kmiec what I understand by our neutrality following his questions at the seminar commemorating the Bush-Gorbachev summit in Malta 20 years ago.

Ambassador Kmiec asked: "Neutral to what? Is it neutrality to peace? Is it neutrality to assisting those striving for peace?"

Well, Malta is neutral; it is neutral to the extent that as a nation we didn't make a fuss when another country's armed forces used our national airspace and airport to conduct covert operations which breach the Geneva Convention... even though we are not proud of this.

It is neutrality to peace, when peace is the cost of a struggle for more power or when peace is the term used for starting more wars.

As for the question whether it is neutrality to assisting those striving for peace, I shall try to answer this once I encounter this situation.

Unfortunately, so far I have not had this experience.

However should the ambassador have come across it in the last few decades he should let me know.

Till then Mr Kmiec should respect our neutrality by not questioning it.

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