Wreaths were laid at the Pieta Military Cemetery today in a commemorative ceremony marking 100 years since the Anzac landings in Gallipoli.

Apart from some 800 Maltese volunteers who supported the Gallipoli campaign, numerous sick and wounded men were evacuated to Malta for medical treatment during the campaign.

By the end of war, some 55,000 Australian and New Zealand soldiers had been treated in Malta and 237 remain buried here.

Speaking at the ceremony, President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca said: "Every year, we gather to commemorate ANZAC Day, as we show our respect to the men and women who lost their lives on the shores of Gallipoli.

"The 100th anniversary of the arrival of the Australian soldiers in Gallipoli, is a reminder to us all, of the suffering that is brought about by wars, injustices and persecutions of people around the world.

"Malta, then, also played an important role, as the nurse of the Mediterranean, caring for the hurt and wounded, and as the burial place of so many men and women who lost their lives.

"Malta now has a new role, that of being a centre for peace and dialogue among peoples, so that its strategic position in the Mediterranean, can serve as a beacon for World Peace.

"In remembering the horrors of war, let us all strive to work for peace for all nations, be compassionate towards all people, understand each other and celebrate our differences, so that we may all live together in harmony."