Rome (Italy), September 12: Italy's president on Saturday said that the memories of the "barbaric" terror attacks on the United States 20 years ago "spurs us with an ever-increasing determination" to protect shared values.
Speaking from a prepared statement to mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States, President Sergio Mattarella said the tragedies created a shared resolve to "protect that common framework of values which reflect the principles of freedom and peaceful coexistence among peoples."
Mattarella also took the occasion to "express the closeness of the Italian people to the families of the victims of that attack and to all the people of the United States, in keeping with the deep and long-standing friendship that binds our two countries."
He made a special mention of those of Italians and those of Italian descent who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.
"Freedom, democracy, peace, and security are indivisible values that cannot ever be taken for granted, but rather must be preserved and nurtured by the international community," the president said.
Source: Xinhua
