PM Ciuca: Independence was won through the sacrifices of the Romanian soldiers

Romania's independence was hard to achieve, and it took the sacrifices and blood sacrifice of the Romanian soldiers for it to happen, and the country's monarchy contributed directly to today's Romania, a free and united country in Europe, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said in a message on May 10, Romanian Independence Day, and Romanian Monarchy Day, Agerpres reports.

"On May 10, Romania is celebrating 145 years of state independence, proclaimed in the Romanian Parliament by Mihail Kogalniceanu, a foreign minister in the government led by Liberal Ion C. Bratianu, and acquired arms in hands in the 1877 Independence War on the battlefields of Pleven and Vidin. This holiday is all the more important as, according to the law, this year its celebration no longer overlaps the holidays associated with May 9 - the end of WWIII and Europe Day, but with the Monarchy Day. Serving Romania with honour and dignity, an invaluable part of our European heritage and destiny, on the battlefield or through diplomacy, the monarchy made a direct contribution to Romania today, a free country united in Europe, an ideal for which whole generations sacrificed themselves," reads the prime minister's message.

Cicua said that Romania's independence "was hard to achieve and it took the sacrifices and blood sacrifice of our soldiers."

"It is our duty and responsibility to respect their memory and to honour their sacrifices by which Romania won full state Independence from the Supreme Porte," said Ciuca.

He underlined that securing independence opened Romania's path to modernity, Western values, and the recognition of its European vocation.

"As a result of a combined effort by the military, diplomacy and society as a whole, our independence strengthened the nation-building generated by the Union of Principalities and paved the way to modernity, Western values, and recognition of our European vocation. As King Carol I once said: 'We have gained our independence with our own blood, and therefore we owe it only to ourselves.' The freedom to choose our path, gained by the heroism of the Romanian soldiers, determines us, today, to look with respect at the history written by the forerunners and to understand its value, especially in this complicated period we are going through. Our presence in NATO - the strongest political and military alliance in the world - and in the EU place Romania under the sign of full protection of its irreversible pro-European option, also strengthened through a transatlantic partnership. Congratulations to all Romanians today, on Romania's Independence Day! Happy Independence Day, Romania! Happy Independence Day, Romanians!," Ciuca added.