December 21 is National Day of Remembrance for Soldiers Fallen in Foreign Missions, and Mariusz Błaszczak was speaking at a ceremony in Warsaw to mark the occasion.
“We owe a debt of remembrance to those who died during missions abroad,” he told the gathering, noting that exactly a decade ago five Polish soldiers were killed by a militant in Afghanistan.
“They gave their lives for Poland while in the line of duty,” he said.
The attacker was subsequently identified and “lost his life during an attempt to arrest him,” Błaszczak revealed.
“Above all, the Polish state makes sure that the families of the fallen soldiers have a decent standard of living, but we also bring to account those who attack Polish soldiers,” he said.
He added that Polish troops "have been taking part in various foreign missions," under the auspices of the United Nations, NATO and the European Union, and "have always been brave and dedicated,” earning “the admiration of our allies.”
“If we stand together with our allies, then we can count on their support as well,” Błaszczak told those at the ceremony.
“We know that we can count on the support of our allies,” he added.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP