Romania owes gratitude and respect to those who sacrificed their lives under the tricolor, Defense Minister Ionut Mosteanu said on Tuesday, on Veterans Day in Theaters of Operations.
"Today we honor the Romanian military who served in the theaters of operations. They are the people who carried the tricolor abroad with dignity and courage. They showed, through deeds, what devotion to the country means. We owe them and their families gratitude and respect," Mosteanu wrote on his Facebook page.
According to the minister, for over three decades, Romanian soldiers have been present in international missions, from the Balkans to the Middle East and Africa, and today over 1,100 continue to serve under the NATO, European Union and UN flags, continuing a tradition of courage and professionalism that does honor to the country. Through their example, Romania is seen as a reliable ally, he stressed.
"Our thoughts today are especially directed to the heroes who sacrificed their lives under the tricolor - the 31 soldiers who fell in the line of duty between 1996 and 2022, to the over 230 soldiers injured in missions. We owe them and their families our gratitude and respect. We remain by your side and assure you of our full support in everything you undertake", Ionut Mosteanu added.
The Minister of Defense thanked all veterans for their dedication, courage and strength.
"The Romanian Army will always stand by you and the families of those who fell in the line of duty. Honor and respect to the veterans in the theaters of operations!", he added.
On the occasion of Veterans Day in Theaters of Operations, a wreath-laying ceremony and the presentation of the Battle Flag to the Land Component Command "General Alexandru Cernat" took place at the Monument to the Heroes Fallen in Theaters of Operations and on Romanian territory located in Parcul Tineretului.
Veterans Day was established by Law 150/2014, amending and supplementing Emergency Ordinance No. 82/2006 to recognize the merits of army personnel participating in military actions and to grant certain rights to them and the descendants of the deceased.
The significance of this day for the Romanian Army is linked to the fact that, on November 11, 2003, Second Lieutenant Iosif Silviu Fogarasi, the first Romanian soldier to fall in the line of duty in the Afghanistan theater of operations, fell in the line of duty.
Romania chose the Romanian peony to represent gratitude, consideration and respect for war veterans and veterans from theaters of operations.
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