President Klaus Iohannis on Sunday, in his speech following the presentation of the 2023 Franz Werfel Prize for Human Rights, mentioned the good coexistence of national minorities in Romania, as well as the help Romania offers to Ukraine after the neighboring country was attacked by Russia.

“It is a special fact for me to be in St. Paul’s Church (Paulskirche), the place where the members of the first German parliament gathered on May 18, 1848 to adopt the Constitution, which guaranteed fundamental rights and laid the foundations for the formation of the German nation-state. A moment 175 years ago continues to give us confidence in the supremacy of freedom, human dignity and the universality of human rights. This is also the spirit behind the awarding of the Franz Werfel Prize. Human rights and human dignity are key elements for the real and substantial commitment of citizens to building societies characterized by freedom, democracy, solidarity, capable of resisting the revival of revisionist nationalisms,” President Klaus Iohannis began his speech, News reports. ro.

The head of state noted that the award is important for the Romanian people.

“This award has a special meaning for me and for the Romanian people, who over time have built a wonderful model of coexistence in the spirit of European values, living and shared, between citizens who belong to the majority and citizens who belong to minorities. Recently, my fellow citizens showed compassion and willingness to help those who were driven from their homes by the war waged by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. In 2017 in Berlin, when we commemorated the victims of refugee and exile, I said in my speech that I would like history not to repeat itself. None of us present here today could believe that in the 21st century in Europe we will witness such a tragedy as the one that happened on February 24, 2022, when the Russian Federation launched a brutal war of aggression against Ukraine. “Russia has systematically committed massive and serious human rights violations and war crimes that must be punished,” Iohannis said.

Klaus Iohannis believes that it is necessary to stop the illegal movement and deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.

“Unfortunately, we are witnessing one of the most terrible aspects of the war: the forced resettlement of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia. The practice of illegal forced relocation and deportation, which the Russian Federation is currently carrying out against the Ukrainian population, including the practice of removing children from families and homes, should be stopped,” the head of state said.

“Romania and Ukraine since the beginning of Russian aggression”

Iohannis also mentioned the support that Romania provides to Ukraine.

“Romania and Romanians have been with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people since the beginning of Russian aggression. As we have done since the first day of the war, we will continue to provide consistent and multidimensional support to our Ukrainian neighbors who have suffered greatly from this unjust war. We act on several levels: political, diplomatic, humanitarian, economic, financial, sectoral, as well as using instruments of international law. We advocate bringing to justice the representatives of the occupation authorities who committed international crimes in the occupied territories. We have mobilized significant institutional and financial resources to support more than 4.3 million Ukrainian refugees who have crossed our country’s borders. Currently, we have almost 100,000 citizens of Ukraine who have chosen to stay in Romania, including more than 22,000 children. Romania was, is, and remains a hospitable neighbor for Ukrainian refugees, providing resources and services specially designed for them: accommodation, free access to medical care, education, the labor market, and public transport,” emphasized Iohannis.

The President of Romania emphasized that manifestations of racism, anti-Semitism or xenophobia must stop.

“This war painfully reminds us of the drama faced by many people in different parts of the world, when they are forced to flee their own country from the path of war, destruction and terror and seek refuge in a foreign country. To ensure that such crimes are never repeated, we must act as a united front against any manifestations of racism or intolerance based on ethnic, religious or other criteria. We are concerned about the recurrence of racist, anti-Semitic or xenophobic expressions or attitudes. We must react so that such manifestations do not become more frequent,” said Klaus Iohannis.

“Today, Romanian society is modern and democratic”

The head of the Romanian state spoke about tolerance and harmony.

“History performs both a pedagogical and a moral function. Knowing the history, traditions and culture of the ethnic groups that live among and next to us is the first step to understanding and respecting the identity of others, and through them to harmonious coexistence. The Romanian people have a long tradition of coexistence in tolerance and harmony with all national minorities, an aspect that I can personally attest to as a member of such a minority. For Romania, people belonging to national minorities represent not only a rich cultural and human heritage, but also a real added value for the whole society. (…) In the current international context, good interethnic understanding, interculturality and solidarity are more important than ever,” added Klaus Iohannis.

The head of state wanted to show that Romanian society today is modern and democratic.

“Today, Romanian society is modern and democratic and upholds universal values ​​such as non-discrimination, tolerance and unity. The support and compassion shown by Romanians to our neighbors, who have been severely tested by the war, completes the image of a society that has fully embraced the fundamental values ​​of the European project and promotes these values ​​in the countries of the Eastern Neighborhood of the Union. Today, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova are candidate states for joining the European Union, including with the strong support of Romania. They act with conviction to join the European Union because they share our common European values. They are part of us. We must instill in younger generations the desire and determination to recognize and fight the dangers to democracy and peace. For our societies, and especially for the younger generations, the memory of the horrors of the past is extremely important. Memory also means that we have the ability to learn from the past. Only in this way will we be able to look with hope at the peaceful future of Europe,” concluded Iohannis.

Read also:

• This weekend, Johannis is going to Germany, where he will receive two awards for “promoting democracy and human rights”
• Johannis in Dusseldorf, where he received the German Public Award: “Romania has shown that it fully meets the criteria for integration into the Schengen area”