As reported by the Quirinale, President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, on the occasion of the Republic Day celebrations, paid his respects this morning at the monument of the Unknown Soldier at the Altare della Patria in Rome. President Mattarella, accompanied by Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, reviewed the honor guard deployed in Piazza Venezia, and laid a laurel wreath in front of the shrine of the Unknown Soldier, in remembrance of all military and civilians who have served and serve the state with commitment and self-sacrifice. The ceremony was attended by House and Senate Presidents Lorenzo Fontana and Ignazio La Russa, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Constitutional Court President Giovanni Amoroso. The moment was celebrated, as per tradition, by the notes of the National Anthem and the overflight of the Tricolored Arrows. At the end, the Head of State, on board the presidential car, the Lancia Flaminia 335, moved to Via dei Fori Imperiali where he will attend the traditional Military Parade.
On the occasion of the Concert held yesterday in honor of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Italian State, President Mattarella remarked that “on 2nd of June, we celebrate the birth of our Republic, the result of a choice of peace, freedom and independence, in a spirit of rejection of violence among countries. That vote of the Italian people gave birth to our Constitution, an ‘ambitious’ Constitution in that it identifies peace and cooperation in international relations as the vocation of the Republic. A choice that the European integration process has strengthened and consolidated. The rejection of the notion of ‘enemy’, a vocation to dialogue, the repudiation of war as an instrument of aggression against the freedom of other peoples, the promotion of international organisations fostering peace and justice, have been and still are the hallmark of the choices made by the Republic of Italy in its 79 years of existence.”
“In many places of the world there emerge scenarios of instability, fed by the violence and confrontation that, to some, seem to have become the standard in international relations. Peace is not an ideal for naïve souls, destined to be crushed by the stern judgement of history. Peace is an experience patiently built by far-sighted statesmen: we need to pursue and advance their work. We must not – indeed we cannot – confine ourselves to merely evoking it. Strong efforts are called for so that the principles of a loyal international cooperation and peaceful coexistence can prevail, thanks to dialogue and progressively stronger confidence-building measures. The world order we have known over the past decades appears to have been undermined. Rules are bound to evolve but a reference framework, a global order, based on mutual respect and acknowledgement, is essential to avert conflicts and allocate assets and resources to address the epochal challenges confronting humankind, thus achieving shared sustainable development”.
Read the full speech here.