Romanian president awards WWII veterans in Slovakia

Romanian President Klaus Werner Iohannis at an awards ceremony for WWII veterans in Zvolen (Banská Bystrica region) on Thursday praised the dedication of Slovak soldiers and their solidarity with the Romanian army, which participated in the liberation of Slovakia during WWII. Slovak President Andrej Kiska and Zvolen mayor Lenka Balkovičová were also present at the ceremony at Zvolen Castle. Prior to the ceremony, the Romanian delegation accompanied by Kiska took part in honouring the memory of fallen Romanian soldiers that are buried at the Romanian Military Cemetery. More than 33,000 Romanian soldiers lost their lives when liberating Czechoslovakia, and a total of 10,382 Romanian soldiers are buried at the cemetery in Zvolen. Iohannis thanked the Slovak authorities, the people of Zvolen and veterans for honouring Romania's war heroes and for taking care of their final resting places. Ján Melicher, a 90-year-old veteran who directly participated in the liberation battles within a guerrilla unit, was given an award by Iohannis. "We should learn from the past. But whether even those that didn't live through it [WWII] will learn from the past, I can't say", noted Melicher, adding that he doesn't see much interest among young people in commemorating these events. Among those who received an award was the Slovak Anti-Fascist Fighters Union's (SZPB) regional organisation in Zvolen. "This award is a big commitment for us to continue with our activities and not to allow this part of history to be forgotten. We should continue to fulfil the legacies of the heroes that are buried here as well as of those that survived the war. We should pay homage to them and honour them constantly", said Dušan Šablatúra, director of SZPB's regional organisation in Zvolen.