So now France is doing us a big favour, as a token of our friendship, by offering to lend us La Vallette’s dagger and sword, for a limited period during the time while Valletta will be celebrated as the cultural capital city of Europe.

It sounds rather arrogant and haughty to lend us what has been stolen from us. We are indisputably the rightful and legal owners of the invaluable arms in question presented by Russia to La Vallette after beating the Turkish forces which besieged the islands.

What right has France to keep in her possession this inestimable treasure acquired by her illegally through an act of aggression and war against virtually undefended Maltese territory?

If such an obscene act and attitude is accepted and condoned by the civilized nations, this would mean, in fact and effect, that any treasures looted by the victorious armies in all Europe during WWII including of course, France, should have been retained perpetually by the victors as war-booty.

Such a line of action is surely totally unacceptable, unfair and logically irrational for the very obvious reason that the retaining country has no claim whatsoever on such property that is not hers but that was stolen and appropriated through force of arms.

France should, while expressing due apologies, immediately and unconditionally return to us all stolen goods and treasures which are ours as of right legally and morally. This is part of our invaluable inheritance bequeathed to us by the knights of St John and must be exposed and cared for where it belongs and where it was under the ownership and care entrusted to our forefathers.

Should France insist not to follow the correct approach about its illegal acquisitions of our treasures, both sides of the House should unite to take up the cudgel by forwarding the dispute to the EU for resolution. La Vallette’s sword and dagger are invaluable heirlooms which we revere and respect as much as we do the George cross and which, like it, represent and commemorate major battles won by the Maltese that helped save and preserve the European identity.

Edwin Calleja

Balzan