National Unity Day ceremony in Sofia

(ANSA) - ROMA, 04 NOV - Today, at the Italian Military Cemetery in Sofia, a ceremony was held to celebrate National Unity and Armed Forces Day and to commemorate the fallen of all wars, organised by the Italian Embassy in Bulgaria.
    In her greeting, Ambassador Giuseppina Zarra commemorated the women and men who sacrificed themselves for the homeland and the unity of the country, recalling the self-sacrifice of the Armed Forces personnel who honour Italy by serving in peace missions deployed in crisis theatres around the world. The Ambassador then turned her thoughts to the dramatic conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, dwelling on the importance of protecting peace by providing the necessary means to defend it. An action that NATO also carries out in Bulgaria with its defence and deterrence posture and the deployment of the Italian-led Multinational Battlegroup. The ceremony continued with a prayer to the fallen soldiers by H.E.R. Mgr Rumen Stanev, Auxiliary Bishop of the Sofia-Plovdiv Diocese.
    A large number of local authorities took part. The ceremony was attended by, among others, the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Angelieva, the Deputy Minister of Defence Radostin Iliev and the top brass of the Bulgarian Armed Forces. Also present were representatives of the diplomatic corps, the Country System and the Italian Community, with the Commander of the NATO Multinational Battlegroup in Novo Selo Col. Federico Maddaluno.