President Iohannis: On this day we commemorate sufferings endured by Roma people for centuries

The Romani emancipation Memorial Day, marked each year on February 20, evokes a moment of great importance for the Roma minority in Romania, but also a fundamental historical step of our country towards democracy and modernity, President Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday in a message.

"The 163 years of freedom of the Roma people are just as many years of freedom of the Romanian people, in whose path towards the European values the abolition of the Romani slavery represented a major milestone. On this day, we commemorate the sufferings endured by the Roma for centuries," the president added.

"The heavy remembrance of the centuries of suffering must unite us in combating marginalization, discrimination and racism. The Romani emancipation Memorial Day is the occasion to reconfirm cohesion around common values, in a society where liberty gives us the energy necessary for the progress and modernization of our nation," President Iohannis concludes.