Romanian Navy marks 160 years of existence

The General Staff of the Naval Forces (SMFN) celebrated, on Thursday, 160 years since the establishment of the modern Romanian Navy by unifying the fleets of Wallachia and Moldavia, creating the Fleet Corps, according to the Order No. 173 of October 22, 1860, of the ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza, informs a press release.

According to the quoted source, the 160th anniversary of the creation of the Romanian Navy was marked by a military ceremony at the headquarters in Bucharest, followed by the unveiling of an anniversary plaque and the launch of the anniversary medal "Romanian Naval Forces - 160 in the Service of the Motherland," issued by the State Mint, as well as by the presentation of the volume of historical studies "Staff of the Naval Forces -160 years of fulfilled duty" by the National Museum of the Romanian Navy.

As a sign of appreciation for their work, some seamen from the Romanian Naval Forces (FNR) were awarded medals and military distinctions at the end of the anniversary event.

"The festivity was attended by the Minister of National Defence, Nicolae-Ionel Ciuca, the Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Daniel Petrescu, the Chiefs of the Air and Land Forces, representatives of some central structures in the Ministry of Defence, commanders of large units in the Naval Forces Romanian," the press release reads.

At the same time, at the headquarters of the National Museum of the Romanian Navy in Constanta, the Open Doors Day was organized on Thursday, during which the photo-documentary exhibition "The General Staff of the Naval Forces - a history in 160 years" was presented.

"The General Staff of the Naval Forces is the structure that establishes the objectives and directions of development of the FNR, as well as the way in which the seamen act. Also, the SMFN was and will remain the beacon that illuminates the path of the FNR evolution, but also the port in which the seafaring traditions of Romania are anchored," underlined the Chief of the Navy, Rear Admiral of the Fleet Mihai Panait, in his speech on this occasion.