Address

by Minister of Defence of Denmark, H.E. Søren Gade, at unveiling of monument in memory of those fallen in NATO Operations

  • 12 Jun. 2009
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  • Last updated 16-Jun-2009 15:49

Mr. Secretary General, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen.

A famous French author, Albert Camus, once said: “Men are never really willing to die except for the sake of freedom. Therefore, they do not believe in dying completely.”

This stone is a tribute to the men and women who have died for freedom and peace. In our minds they have not died completely. Their legacy of hope and sacrifice is still alive with us.

The commitment, the determination and the courage of our sol-diers is what ultimately keeps us safe. And their unselfish efforts enable us to project freedom and peace, security and stability, to other regions around the world.

This memorial must remind all of us that peace and security hardly ever come without sacrifice.

We, decision-makers, must also have the necessary courage and commitment to take on present and future challenges.

Mr. Secretary General, I want to thank you for your courage and commitment in making this memorial a reality. In this – like other issues – I have felt honoured to work with you.

Let me finish by expressing from the bottom of my heart my deepest admiration and respect for all those fallen in NATO opera-tions.

We honour you – you will never be forgotten!

Thank You.