A day of patriotism, remembrance - president on Independence Day

Poland's November 11 Independence Day is a special date, one of the most important dates in the calendar, filled with extraordinary patriotism and history, Poland’s president has said.

At a ceremony for the appointment of new generals at Warsaw's Belvedere Palace Andrzej Duda emphasised that November 11 "is a special date every year".

"From that memorable year of 1918, when we assume that Poland regained its independence by handing over supremacy over the army to a brigadier at that time, Jozef Pilsudski, the future Marshal of the Republic of Poland, this holiday was important and was always celebrated, even when it was forbidden to celebrate it for many years," the president said.

He noted that it is officially "one of the most important, symbolic events of the year filled with extraordinary patriotism and historical memory".

"We can safely say that those victors who not only regained the Republic of Poland for all of us, but who were also able to defend it in difficult moments, are still a model for all Polish soldiers, for Polish officers, and I do not hesitate to say - for all Poles," president added.

At this year's ceremony, advancing officers to the rank of general, Andrzej Duda promoted five army officers to the rank of general, including the commander of the Territorial Defence Forces, and four officers of the Border Guard.