President: Greatest Tribute to Fallen Is World in Which War Has No Place
The greatest tribute to fallen soldiers is a world in which war has no place, said President Peter Pellegrini during a wreath-laying ceremony held at the Petrzalka-Kopcany military cemetery in Bratislava on Tuesday to mark Veterans Day.
Bratislava, 11 November (TASR) - The greatest tribute to fallen soldiers is a world in which war has no place, said President Peter Pellegrini during a wreath-laying ceremony held at the Petrzalka-Kopcany military cemetery in Bratislava on Tuesday to mark Veterans Day, with House Chair Richard Rasi (Voice-SD), Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD) and other guests including local government representatives in attendance.
The anniversary of the end of the First World War is a reminder not to repeat history in its cruelest forms, to let diplomacy speak again rather than the clash of arms, and to return to economic cooperation instead of building economic barriers, stated the president.
"It's alarming that today's situation so strikingly reminds us of the situation before the outbreak of the First World War, that today in the 21st century we can hear shooting not far from our borders, soldiers are again dying on battlefields or in trenches, along with innocent people, even children in the ruins of residential buildings," stated Pellegrini. According to him, the anniversary should also remind people to coexist in a multilateral world instead of ruthlessly promoting power or economic interests, and "to restore respect for international law and human life".
The president believes that it's possible to learn from history and not waste the chance to protect life in peace for future generations. He also recalled that the experience of two wars led Europe to the idea of coexistence based on common values. "Despite all reservations, either purpose-made or justified, this European project represents effective prevention against a repetition of bloody history on our continent," he said, adding that the possibility of developing in this safe space is also a historic opportunity for Slovakia.
The end of the First World War is commemorated around the world on November 11 as Armistice Day, Remembrance Day or Veterans Day, depending on the country. The four-year conflict ended with an armistice signed at 11:11 a.m. on November 11, 1918 in the dining car of the French General Staff located in a forest near the northern French town of Compiègne.
