Slovak officials paid tribute to war veterans on Thursday. Laying wreaths at the war cemetery in Bratislava, Prime Minister Eduard Heger invited people to reflect on the heroism of the people who laid down their lives in the wars so that peace could prevail. At the same time, he invited undecided people to take a step of courage and help defeat the COVID-19 pandemic. Parliamentary Chair Boris Kollar (We Are Family) on Thursday noted in a speech during the unveiling of a new memorial plaque dedicated to Slovak members of the Czechoslovak Legion in the capital that these volunteer soldiers significantly contributed to the establishment of Czechoslovakia. Kollar claimed that he is convinced that the unveiling of the plaque will mark the beginning of a change in the attitude of Slovaks towards commemorating those who fought and lost their lives for national freedom at various times in the past.
Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad (OLaNO) commemorated Veterans Day at the SNP Memorial in Banska Bystrica, central Slovakia. The defence minister pointed out the fragility of peace with examples of fighting from Ukraine or the tense situation on the Polish-Belarusian border, where approximately 20,000 troops have been deployed in recent days. He also recalled the millions of victims of the world wars and war veterans who survived the fighting. However, he also pointed out the role of soldiers in the current period of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Source: TASR
