Thousands of people attended on a rainy Thursday a military parade on December 1, Romania’s National Day, at the Triumphal Arch in Bucharest, according to Agerpres.

Although it rained along the path of the parade, an event that lasted almost an hour on Kiseleff Road, people enthusiastically watched, some of them waving small flags, as the parade marched by.

Providing a soundtrack to the parade was the military music of the Romanian Army, from the Bucharest garrison: the Representative Music of the Ministry of National Defence, the military music of the 30th Mihai Viteazul Guard Brigade, and the military music of the 1st Argedava Mechanised Brigade.

The children in attendance were delighted by defence equipment, parading foreign soldiers and q canine team.

„This is the first time I come to a parade. I really liked that I saw cars, tanks and equipment from other countries,” said an 11-year-old boy, who came to the parade accompanied by his parents and his little brother.

„I liked the dog the most,” the brother said.

„I liked the impeccable presentation of the detachments that marched. For me it was an emotional moment considering that this is the first time that I watched a military parade in Bucharest,” said a young woman in the audience.

The commander of the military parade, Lieutenant-General Corneliu Postu, said he was satisfied with the way the parade took place, adding that, due to bad weather, three air force demonstrations that were to take place during the parade were cancelled.

„To all Romanians, the National Day should be a day of national unity. It is not for me to say how today’s parade was, but as far as we are concerned it was very good. It’s the Romanians that have to say how it was because we gave honour to the people by the military parade in whose service we are,” Postu told Agerpres.

He explained that the planes did not fly because of the weather. „We were prepared, but they didn’t fly because of the weather, as security is our outmost concern,” added the commander of the military parade.

„We feel proud that every year we manage to honour all Romanians,” said Major Alexandru Ivanof, information and public relations officer with the Special Operations Forces Command.

„The parade was beautiful from our point of view. We feel proud that every year we manage to give honour to all Romanians. The weather really didn’t help us. As you could see, the air force could not be with us to present its honour from up in the sky, but we got heated,” Ivanof told Agerpres.

He also talked about how to start up a career in the ranks of the Special Operations Forces – the elite of the Romanian Army.

„I can’t say it’s easy, but it’s not hard either, and we are waiting for any ambitious young people who would like to pursue a career in the Special Operations Forces and believe they are capable of pushing their limits and want to be among the best to take the competitive exams at the School of Applications in Vladeni,” said Ivanof.

Approximately 1,500 soldiers and specialists from the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Special Telecommunications Service, the National Administration of Penitentiaries and the Romanian Customs Authority, joined by foreign soldiers, marched under the Triumphal Arch.

During the parade, 120 pieces of equipment were presented. Also, representatives of the NATO battlegroup deployed in Romania marched in the parade.

About 150 foreign soldiers were present in a line of honour as part of detachments from Belgium, France, North Macedonia, Moldova, Portugal, the US and the Netherlands, alongside soldiers representing the NATO countries contributing to the NATO organisations in Romania.

Between the foot parade and the military equipment parade, the military brass delighted the audience with a show of artistic virtuosity.

Agerpres