Romania is today a safe country, a pillar of stability in Eastern Europe, and Romanians enjoy the most solid security guarantees in the country's history, Senate President Mircea Abrudean said on Saturday, on the occasion of Romanian Army Day.
"Today, we honor together the Romanian Army - the main pillar of the national defense system, in a tribute to all the heroes fallen in battle to defend the Romanian land, and to those who represent us with honor in missions and various theaters of operations in the world under the aegis of NATO, the UN or the European Union. Because you are always at the service of the country, we are grateful to you - our active, reserve and retired military personnel, as well as the civilian personnel of the Romanian Army. We place all our trust in you for the defense of the country. Today, we also celebrate the 81st anniversary of the liberation of the cities of Carei and Satu Mare, the last occupied Romanian localities, a moment that marked the restoration of Romania's territorial integrity and became a national symbol. This is why we also dedicate this day to our soldiers who paid the ultimate price on the battlefield, so that Romania could develop and become the democratic state respected in Europe and the world it is today," Abrudean told a military and religious ceremony organized in Carol Park, according AGERPRES.
He also conveyed thanks to the war veterans and the troops wounded in missions, stating that their devotion, professionalism and spirit of sacrifice set an example.
The Senate head also spoke about "Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine," stating that it has transformed "the international order and the maintenance of stability in the area," and brought to mind that Romania has recently optimized its legislative framework regarding the risk of drone overflights.
"Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has completely transformed the way we know the international order and the maintenance of stability in the area. And there's another, also very dangerous kind of war, that of disinformation. But the Romanian Army continues to enjoy the trust of citizens, and this should lead you to communicate more, to stay more among people and talk to them. We must remain firmly committed to supporting Ukraine, stay vigilant and continue close cooperation with allies to strengthen the eastern flank of Europe's defense in the Black Sea region, an area of strategic importance for Euro-Atlantic security. We have recently optimized the national legislative framework for preventing and combating the risk of drones flying into our airspace, and combating the risk that these vehicles or fragments thereof fall on the national territory," Abrudean emphasized.
The President of the Senate also spoke about the progress made in the last period by the Romanian Army, but also about the financial allocation available under the SAFE program.
"In recent years, the Romanian Army has made significant progress, especially in terms of equipping with modern capabilities, and you are the main beneficiaries of this national effort. Just to take the most recent example, Romania received the second largest financial allocation, of almost 17 billion euros, under the SAFE program to strengthen its defense capacity. The second largest amount assigned to a member state, after Poland, under this strategic program. The Romanian Army must continue to have a solid financial base to rely on in order to implement the major programs for equipping its armed forces as planned, and an important part of these investments must return to the national defense industry," Mircea Abrudean also said.
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