Diplomats from 10 countries – Belarus, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan – delivered a joint statement during the OSCE Permanent Council meeting in Vienna on May 8th, marking the anniversary of the Victory over Nazism in the Second World War. "Eighty years ago, Victory over Nazism was achieved in the Second World War. We honor and remember this sacred date! The triumph achieved by the force of arms of the Allied coalition over the ideas of racial superiority and misanthropy determined the fate of civilization on a planetary scale and cannot be consigned to oblivion. Preserving the historical memory of the tragic events of those years and the heroic deed of millions of people who fought and died in the name of peace and prosperity for future generations is our common duty" the statement reads.

According to BELTA news agency, the document emphasizes the unacceptability of attempts to revise or distort the outcomes of the Second World War, or to diminish the role of the peoples of the Soviet Union and participants in the liberation movements of European countries in the defeat of Nazism. It also condemns the destruction and desecration of monuments and burial sites of liberation soldiers of any nationality who laid down their lives at the Altar of Victory, wherever these memorial sites may be located. "The Victory over Nazism in 1945 laid the foundations for the Final Act of the OSCE, signed in August 1975" the statement says.

The document notes the determination of the overwhelming majority of the international community to prevent the repetition of the tragic mistakes of the past and to build the future on unifying principles. In this regard, the resolution of the UN General Assembly "Combating glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fueling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance" adopted on December 17, 2024, is welcomed. The statement contains an appeal to all countries and peoples to honor the memory of those who forged Victory in the Second World War, not to forget the lessons of common history, and to fully contribute to efforts in the fight against any manifestations of neo-Nazism and its glorification.

ORIENT