WARSAW, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- The 99th anniversary of Poland's Independence Day was celebrated here on Saturday.
Major celebrations were held in the country's capital city of Warsaw, including commemorative events with the presence of the country's president and prime minister as well as representatives of the European Union and the foreign diplomatic corps.
"Long live free, independent, sovereign Poland, on the threshold of its independence centenary. Hail and glory to the heroes of our free and independent motherland", Polish President Andrzej Duda said in a speech on Warsaw's Pilsudski Square.
"We cannot forget that independence is not given once and for all, and that the most important aspect of the political process is to strengthen it", the president stressed.
People must also remember that faith in the Republic of Poland is of crucial importance in everyday life and work, Duda went on to say, "Devotion to the homeland, to the nation, to every fellow citizen is the most important thing".
Duda also present wreaths to the Tomb of Unknown Soldiers during the Independence Day celebrations at the square, and on behalf of their respective European Union institutions, wreaths were laid by President of the Council of the EU, former Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Vice-President of the European Parliament, Ryszard Czarnecki.
The major celebrations were followed by large-scale marches through the city of Warsaw.
Polish National Independence Day is a national day celebrated on Nov. 11 to commemorate the anniversary of the restoration of Poland's sovereignty in 1918, after 123 years of partition between Russia, Prussia, and Austria after the First World War.
