PRESIDENT DE MARCO RECEIVES BRIGADIER R.C. MONTANARO AND TOP-RANKING OFFICERS ON THE OCCASION OF THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INSTITUTION OF THE ARMED FORCES OF MALTA

The Commander of the Armed Forces of Malta, accompanied by the senior officers, on Saturday morning called on President Guido de Marco, on the occasion of the 30^th anniversary of the institution of the Armed Forces of Malta. Brigadier Montanaro, whilst thanking the President for receiving them reaffirmed the army's loyalty to the Head of State, symbol of the nation.

President de Marco stressed that the primary role of an army is to defend the integrity of the national territory. Although, at present, there are no apparent external military threats to our country, the President was of the opinion that one should always maintain a certain level of preparedness for any eventuality. This level of preparedness should be reflected in the continuous and adequate training of AFM personnel.

Successive governments, said the President, realised the importance of this by procuring various courses abroad for both officers and non-commissioned officers, which broaden the knowledge through the cross-fertilisation of ideas. President de Marco stated that Malta, for the first time thirty years ago, as an independent country, had an army of its own. The President concluded that dedication to duty was essential to ensure the optimum level of performance with the available resouces.