Afghanistan mission ending ceremony - Iohannis: You made history, you are heroes of our generations

The mission of the Romanian Armed Forces in Afghanistan will go down in the history books as their longest, most complex and important military operation abroad since WWII, Romania's President Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday, telling the troops in attendance that they are "the heroes of our generations." He attended a military ceremony at the Triumphal Arch Square in Bucharest that marked the official end of Romania's mission to Afghanistan. "Today, we are marking a very special day, full of emotion and especially gratitude. Whenever we talk about Romania's heroes, about those always ready for the ultimate sacrifice for our country, we may tend to think more about the past, but heroism and love of country are still today among the fundamental constitutive values of our nation and what more solid evidence do we need than the huge sacrifices of those who took part in one of the most difficult operations of our army. The mission of the Romanian Armed Forces in Afghanistan will go down in the history books as their longest, most complex and important military operation abroad since WWII," said Iohannis. According to the chief of state, the Romanian military made history in the theatre of operations in Afghanistan, and thanked them for their love of country, spirit of sacrifice, courage, selflessness and patriotism. He mentioned that over the course of 19 years, more than 32,000 troops took part in operations in Afghanistan. Iohannis pointed out that the participation in the military operation also represented an important strategic position of Romania, with the country thus joining the other NATO member states in the global war against terrorism and demonstrating genuine adherence to a set of Euro-Atlantic values. He said 27 Romanian soldiers lost their lives in Afghanistan and 227 others were injured, voicing gratitude for their sacrifice. He thanked all the countries having joined Romania in missions in Afghanistan for the support provided, especially to the United States of America. Iohannis thanked the Romanian Armed Forces, Gendarmerie and Police for the "exemplary" way in which they did their duty and showed that, as a token of appreciation for the high professionalism and special results of the Romanian military on specific missions in the Afghan theatre of operations, and for their contribution to the promotion of Romania's image, he decorated 18 battle flags. AGERPRES (RO - author: Florentina Peia, editor: Claudia Stanescu; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)   Photo source: www.presidency.ro