Speech of the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Mirek Topolánek on the Occasion of Wreath Putting at the Pere Lachaise Cemetery

This is a place where those who are alive bow low to those who are dead. It is a symbolic place of thanks to those who laid their lives for our freedom.

Here, at Pere Lachaise Cemetery we also remember our common history, common fights, and common heroism.

Every age needs its heroes. Every nation needs heroes. And also Europe needs common heroes, if it really wants to be homogenous.

By their heroism our ancestors had been helping to create united free and peaceful Europe ages ago then this idea became a reality.

Many our citizens were killed in fight for France. For example we do not forget a standard bearer of the company "NAZDAR" - the first unit of Czechoslovak volunteers, which was involved in fights of the World War One in the framework of the French Foreign Legion.

That standard bearer Karel Bezdíček came from village of Sezemice from the Pardubice region. And the memorial tablet we are standing at, and which remind us our killed soldiers in the World War One, was prepared just by municipalities of Pardubice and Sezemice. Killed soldiers of both world wars are thus bound by single fate.

Fates of heroes bind. We must not forget them. Thanks to them we know who we are. Thanks to them we have our own identity. Thanks to them we have freedom.

We do not forget! Let us honour their memory!