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The Strategic Partnership with the USA is an "essential pillar of Romania's defence", and the challenges to national security have increased constantly, said, on Monday, the Minister of National Defence, Nicolae Ciuca, present at an event organized by the Embassy of the United States of America in Bucharest to mark Memorial Day.
Ciuca stated that in the theaters of operations of the past decades the Romanians and Americans fought many times shoulder to shoulder for their common ideas and values.
The Minister of National Defence stated that preserving and defending democracy, liberty, rule of law and respect for human life have implied not only an immense effort, but also the last full measure of hundreds of men and women and that they should be celebrated more than just in specific events.
"It is our duty to honor them each day of our lives. We are here today to (...) bring tribute to those who chose to sacrifice their lives for a better future. This is the reason for which their individual sacrifice makes our common freedom be so much more cherished (...). We are proud to be your trusted allies," said Nicolae Ciuca.
The Minister of National Defence thanked the US Ambassador in Romania, Adrian Zuckerman, the General Consulate and the staff which ensured visas for the Romanian medical personnel and CBRN specialists which have left on Monday to the US state of Alabama to offer support to local authorities in the fight against COVID-19.
The US ambassador to Romania, Adrian Zuckerman, stated that Memorial Day is one of the most important days, because "today we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of our country". He thanked Minister Nicolae Ciuca and the head of the Defence General Staff, Daniel Petrescu, for their attendance at the event, mentioning that their presence speaks for the strength of the bilateral Strategic Partnership. The diplomat stated that the USA continues to be ready, even in the middle of a pandemic, to fight together with its allies and partners in order to guarantee that the liberties for which the American servicemen fought for will endure.
America continues to support a powerful and free Europe, tied by the common values of democracy and national sovereignty, said Adrian Zuckerman, adding that the bilateral Strategic Partnership with Romania has never been stronger and that Romania has no better friend than the American people.
Adrian Zuckerman also said that the Romanian and American soldiers fought and died together in far away places in order to further the common objectives - liberty, rule of law and the fundamental human rights.
Together we will defeat the COVID virus. Together we will rebuild our economies. Together we will maintain our civil rights. Together we will not allow malignant foreign influences to deprive our people of freedom, added the US ambassador to Romania.
The US ambassador and Minister Nicolae Ciuca laid a wreath in memory of the military killed in action.
