The day of remembrance. Mattarella: the horror of the sinkholes strikes the conscience
The head of state recalled the suffering and mourning to which tens of thousands of families were forced in the areas of the eastern border: “The sufferings endured cannot be denied”
“The horror of the sinkholes affects our consciences. Pain, which provoked and accompanied the exodus of the Italian Julian-Dalmatian and Istrian communities, it was slow to be adopted by the conscience of the Republic”.
“The sufferings endured cannot be denied. The future is entrusted to the ability to prevent pain from turning into resentment and this into hatred, such as to prevent the new generations from rebuilding a coexistence made up of mutual respect and collaboration. Each community preserves the memory of its most harrowing experiences and its own historical reasons. E’ from mutual recognition that restarts dialogue and friendship, between people and cultures”.
They are the words ofPresident of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, on the occasion of Remembrance Day.
THE FULL DECLARATION
“These are values that we wanted to reaffirm with the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, whom I thank again for the meeting and the initiatives of last July, on the occasion of the signing of the memorandum of understanding for the return of the Narodni Dom to the Slovenian linguistic minority in Italy. From these values derive highly appreciable projects such as the decision to make Gorizia and Nova Gorica, jointly, European capital of culture 2025”, he still declares.
“Acts of high symbolic significance that demonstrate once again how the integration of Italians, Slovenians and Croatians in the European Union has opened up horizons of solidarity to our nations, friendship, collaboration and development.
The past is not erased. But it is necessary to ensure that the young people of these lands have the right to a common future of peace and prosperity. The firm determination of Slovenia, Croatia and Italy to establish an increasingly intense collaboration in border areas is an example of how awareness of the richness of the diversity of our cultures and identities is decisive for overcoming the most tragic pages of the past forever and paving the way for a shared future”, concludes Mattarella.
