French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal honoured the soldiers who were part of the Normandy landings as heroes, at a ceremony on Juno beach as the world commemorates the 80th anniversary of the operations that helped end World War II.
"Our gratitude is eternal," said Attal on Thursday at a Canadian commemoration ceremony in the beachside town of Courseulles-Sur-Mer. "France will never forget those who died for her."
Attal called the veterans "heroes," "figures of courage" and "faces of freedom" and vowed to keep the memory of them and their fallen comrades alive.
Attal said he was part of a generation that had grown up without war, a generation that sometimes forgets how fragile democracy and freedom are.
He said he belongs to a generation that is constantly being reminded of what it owes to those who left everything behind to fight for freedom at their age.
With war now having returned to Europe, it was crucial to listen to the lessons of history, Attal said.
The ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the landing of Allied troops in Normandy was also attended by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Britain's Prince William.
