Madrid, March 12 (TIWN) Europe commemorated those who lost their lives to terrorism with a solemn ceremony held in Madrid, Spain.

In an event organized by the European Commission, the 17th European Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Terrorism brought together victims of terrorism, victims' associations and first responders to share their stories and experiences. 

This year, the theme of the event was "Always United." "To all who seek to hurt and divide us, we will continue to respond with unity," the commission said in a statement for the occasion.  "We are committed to building inclusive and cohesive societies in which everyone has a stake and everyone can feel safe," said the statement.  It explained how it was building the bloc's resilience to prevent these attacks, and fighting the terrorist threat resulting from different forms of extremism.