Malta will never serve as a military base again and whoever said otherwise was cut off from the country's reality, Labour leader Joseph Muscat said this evening.

Speaking during a celebration to commemorate the 32^nd anniversary of Freedom Day, when the British military base in Malta was closed, Dr Muscat also spoke about the problems Malta was facing with immigration and said that the country expected active solidarity from other states.

Speaking at the foot of the monument before leading the party leadership to the top to light the torch, Dr Muscat told a packed audience that Malta believed in peace and while it would always be there to help in times of conflicts, it would retain its neutrality and not take sides

“We are here to renew our promise that Malta will never be a military base again. We will not be a war base but a centre of peace.

“We will be there to offer help, without taking side but assisting those who are fighting to help them gain peace,” he said.

Dr Muscat said it was a trick of destiny that while Malta commemorated Freedom Day, the Mediterranean was facing the biggest upheaval it ever had ever faced in modern history.

This gave Freedom Day a more relevant meaning.

What was happening today, he said, showed that Malta had vision 32 years ago. The decision to close off the military base had saved Malta then and the country now remained free.

Freedom and independence, he said, were the foundations on which Malta had been built and his generation was proud of both achievements.

Echoing the late President Guido de Marco, Dr Muscat said there could never be peace in Europe, unless there was peace in the Mediterranean.

He said that only if there was peace could a prosperous country and European Union be built.

On immigration, the Labour leader said that Malta had helped other countries evacuate their people from a war zone without distinction and it expected the same kind of assistance should it be required.

Solidarity, he said, had to be meaningful and not just a word.

Malta would keep insisting that it should be helped and would raise its voice if necessary.

“We are good but not gullible. We are ready to help but we have to be helped as well,” he said.

At the beginning of his speech, he said that his thoughts and prayers were with former Agriculture Minister Freddie Micallef, who was very sick and fighting for his life.