The Photo Exhibition “US and French Militaries on the Romanian Front in the Great War” – an event organized under the patronage of the President of the Commission for Defense, Public Order and National Security of the Chamber of Deputies, Dorel Căprar, – was inaugurated on Tuesday evening at the “Byzantine” Hall of the National Military Circle, in the presence of the Ambassador of France to Bucharest, Michele Ramis, US Ambassador to Romania, Hans Klemm  and Deputy Prime Minister Ana Birchall.

The French ambassador pointed out that Romania has always benefited from special attention from its “cousin”, France, and today, just like 100 years ago, France has a special interest in the security of our country.

Michele Ramis said the photographs depict “the brotherhood of weapons that was created during the First World War”.

“The courage of the soldiers, ready to die for others, is very well illustrated by these photographs, which demonstrate the sacrifice of Romanian, French and American soldiers to the Romanian nation,” the ambassador said.

She also evoked the role of the Berthelot mission in Romania during the First World War.

“The Berthelot mission made it possible to create close ties of cooperation and friendship between the Romanian and the French people, which lasts even 100 years after World War I. Cooperation between the two countries is always the premise of a beautiful future. a central element of his military doctrine, and as such, the French Navy, as part of his mission in the Black Sea, makes several stopovers yearly in Constanta, such as the Marne ship did, which will take place between 21^st and 25^th of July. These opportunities are used to carry out bilateral exercises with the Romanian Navy, as well as the annual air exercises, these exercises jointly by the two armies remind that the spirit of cooperation highlighted by the Berthelot mission remains relevant”,Ramis said.

The French diplomat also mentioned bilateral military co-operation between Romania and France.

“Engaged together in numerous operations, the two countries recreated and supervised the Kabul Armored School from 2011 to 2014, highlighting this bilateral cooperation, as is the case in African territory, especially in the Central African Republic, within the European Mission (EUTM / CAR)”, Ramis said.

She stressed that Romania has always benefited from special attention from “her cousin France, and today, just like 100 years ago, France attaches great interest to Romania’s security.”

“From now on, Romania, France and the United States continue, through numerous operations, to fight together to maintain peace, to protect people and against terrorism, but also to show the determination and cohesion of the North Atlantic Alliance on the Eastern Flank. These photographs show us the magnitude of the sacrifices that our countries had been ready to do. They remind us that the relations between our countries are extremely strong and that today our countries must unite to meet the contemporary challenges we face”, Michele Ramis said.

The US Ambassador to Bucharest also said that World War I support through the support of the American Red Cross was the first major military effort to help Romania.

Hans Klemm said that it is true that the assistance and support the US gave to our country in World War I did not compare to that of France through the Berthelot mission, however, 100 years ago it represented a moment that established a very strong relationship, a NATO alliance with France and Romania and, of course, those of the US-Romania Strategic Partnership.

“Now, when we celebrate 100 years of friendship between the US and Romania and the alliance with France, the photographs we see today are testimony to the link between our countries and I hope it shows the strength and continuity of this relationship,” the US diplomat said.

Deputy Prime Minister Ana Birchall has been honored to attend an event that is a true lesson of history.

“The past is extremely important for you to learn from the past to build the present and, above all, the future. I could not be more fortunate to be able to celebrate with you these moments from Romania’s history, from the strategic partnerships that Romania has with the two allies, two strategic partners – the United States and France. I look at these photographs showing not only the determination, patriotism, honor and dignity that the military coat represents, but also the courage and the worthiness and patriotism to those who have been together, as they are today in the theaters of operations, Romanian, French, American, “said Birchall.

PSD deputy Dorel Căprar stressed that the exhibition “sheds light on some of the most important events that have positively marked Romania’s relations with France and the United States”.

“We all know the name of General Berthelot, we all know what American President Woodrow Wilson has done for our national cause. We have all seen the pictures of Queen Mary, the Queen soldier of the Romania, in the hospitals or canteens of the American Red Cross or along with the French soldiers on the Moldovan front. These moments of the past must be memorised and remembered whenever we have the opportunity not only to honor the memory of those who contributed to the resistance of the Romanian Army and the Romanian state in those dramatic moments of 1917, of those who have contributed to the completion of Romania, but also to teach us some of the lessons today.

For me, the history of those times means, over time, the Western unity represented by the two great nations and democrats – France and the United States. In turbulent moments, these two great nations, now strategic partners of Romania, knew to be joined, united, to save Europe and for the freedom of peoples. (…) Another lesson in reminding these events is the importance of the Romanian space for European security, and now Euro-Atlantic. I invite you to look at these images, and especially the maps, to reflect on what our history can teach us, the Romanians, and you, French and Americans now, when we are talking more and more about the reform of European and transatlantic security, “Căprar said.

A presentation of the exhibition was made by Ştefan Popescu, a professor at SNSPA and a doctor in the history of international relations, as initiator of the project.

The event was also attended by MPs and former MPs, representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Bucharest, as well as officers of the Romanian Army.

Source: Agerpres