Cima Grappa War Memorial: Ceremony in Honour of the Italian and Hungarian Fallen

Immagini messe a disposizione con licenza
CC-BY-NC-SA 3.0 IT

Defence Minister Guido Crosetto this morning attended the ceremony in honour of WWI Italian and Hungarian Fallen at the Cima Grappa War Memorial, the resting place of over 12,600 Italian and 10,200 Austrian and Hungarian fallen.

The ceremony was attended by President of the Hungarian National Assembly Laszlo Kover, Hungarian Defence Minister Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky and Vice-Minister Tamas Vargha.

"This is an important day for Hungary, but also for its Italian brothers and friends", Minister Crosetto said, addressing the Hungarian delegation and underscoring the solemnity of the ceremony which marked the first raising of the Hungarian flag at the War Memorial.

"What used to be a place of grief, death, suffering and war, over the decades has turned into a place of inner calm and peace, memories and friendship", the minister said.

"Today we have raised the Hungarian flag together with the Italian and Austrian flags. So many soldiers died in their name. They fought on opposite sides, as enemies, but all of them died an honourable death because they were fighting for their flags and their native countries".

The minister also recalled the strong friendship that binds Italy and Hungary, referring to 1848, when the Italian military supported the Hungarians in their fight for independence from Austria.

"We are here today as the offspring of those men, those soldiers, representing their values and their courage. I believe that the long-standing relationship shared by Italy and Hungary will guide us also in the future ", Minister Crosetto concluded.

On this occasion the minister also thanked the local communities, Opera Madonnina del Grappa and the Veterans' Associations from Treviso, Belluno and Vicenza provinces for safeguarding the territory and its history with pride and passion.

At the end of the ceremony the minister held a bilateral meeting with his Hungarian colleague, focusing on various themes of common interest. The discussion included industrial cooperation in the defence sector and national commitments within NATO on the southern flank of the Alliance, in the Western Balkans and the Sahel.