The Day of National Anthem was celebrated on Sunday morning in the Bucharest's Tricolour's Square in front of the National Military Circle, being attended by several dignitaries, through a military and religious ceremony.

The religious service was delivered by the chaplain of the 30 Guard Brigade "Mihai Viteazul".

"We celebrate today 170 years since through the Decision 10 of 1848 by the Ministry of Domestic Affairs of Wallachia, the day of 29th of July was declared Day of National Anthem, and the song <> the anthem of Romanians everywhere. (...) Over the years, the lyrics and music of this wonderful anthem have marked the key-moments of the fighting history of our people, encouraging and giving confidence to our soldiers on the battlefields. (...) The strong, mobilising message of the lyrics, the idea of freedom, unity and national rebirth have made it for the <> become not only a true Marseillaise of the Romanians, but also an anthem of the Balkans, the mobilising strength of which never knew boundaries," said Lieutenant Colonel Liviu Voicu.
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President Klaus Iohannis says that in the year of celebration of the Greater Union Centennial the marking of the Day of National Anthem is a good occasion to renewing the commitment for the strengthening of a strong, European Romania, and to reaffirming the attachment to the principles of democracy and rule of law.

"Today, on 29th of July we celebrate the National Anthem, one of the fundamental symbols of statehood, independence, national sovereignty and unity, alongside the Flag, the State Coat and Seal. The days of the 1848 Revolution have sanctioned for the first time the singing on composer Anton Pann's music the lyrics of the patriotic poem composed by Andrei Muresanu. The song has had an important role in the revival of hope for a better life and for the collective dignity in key-moments of the Romanian history - the Independence War, the WWI and the WWII and the Revolution of December 1989 - which has fully justified the option of choosing it as national anthem in 1990," says President Klaus Iohannis in a release sent to AGERPRES, on Sunday, by the Presidential Administration.
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The National Defence Minister Mihai Fifor, on Sunday stated that on the Day of National Anthem, the "Desteapta-te Romane", today's Romania's national anthem is one of our sacred national symbols.
In his view, with an over 160 year-old history the long of the ages, "Desteapta-te Romane" has marked the key-moments of battling history of our nation, courage and confidence-inspiring to the soldiers on the battlefields at Grivita, Smardan, Marasesti, Oituz or Carei.
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"The national anthem was the witness of certain key-benchmarks of our national history. The day of 29th of July is an occasion to show gratitude to our ancestors, to the heroes fallen on the WWI battlefields and to the fathers of the modern national unitary state, the memory of whom is motivating us to keep up our dignity, to cultivate respect towards the national values and look with confidence to the future," says a release by the Foreign Affairs Ministry.AGERPRES(RO - author: Madalina Cerban, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author, editor: Maria Voican)