Iohannis: It is our duty to honor our National Anthem, to remain united around national symbols

President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday, on the occasion of the National Anthem Day in Romania, that it is our duty to cherish and honor the Anthem and to remain united around national symbols. "It is our duty to honor all those before us who sacrificed in order to achieve unity and to preserve the identity and national dignity and to honor and cherish the Anthem, an expression of the purest patriotic feelings of the Romanian people. Dear Romanians, let us remain united around our national symbols and to send future generations the highest ideals of the Romanian people, just as they were captured in "Desteapta-te romane!". Happy anniversary to the National Anthem! Happy Anniversary, Romania!" the head of state says in his message. He asserts that the National Anthem Day is a moment of strong significance for all Romanians. "The Romanian National Anthem - Desteapta-te romane!" - is one of the symbols which define tradition, history and the beliefs of our nation and represent an expression of national reawakening, of pride and patriotism, of liberty and unity of the Romanian people. The lyrics of Andrei Muresanu have gained, in time, a particular emotional charge and instilled dignity, patriotism and courage to an entire generation in the last 173 years. The Romanian people identified with it's battle cry "Now or never" during turning points in our history, such as the manifestations of expressing the Romanians' national identity from all around, who culminated with the Union of 1859, the Independence War, the Great Union of 1918, the two global conflagrations and the anti-communist riot in Brasov of November 1987. Its spontaneous toning during the Romanian Revolution of December 1989 has revived the evergreen message of the Romanian people's old song, of unity and liberty, and cemented the decision of establishing it as the Romanian National Anthem," president Iohannis also said.AGERPRES(RO - author: Florentina Peia, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Catalin Cristian Trandafir, editor: Maria Voican)