Mr Medvedev thanked the Chinese President for taking part in the Victory Day celebrations. “Your participation in these events symbolises two things for us: first, that we share a common attitude towards the achievements of the past, and towards this war that forged bonds between our peoples, and second, our strategic partnership,” Mr Medvedev said.
Today’s commemoration events are all the more important at a time when some continue attempts to rethink the events of the past and the results of World War II. Russia and China share the view that these results cannot be called into question, the President said.
Mr Hu, for his part, said that the joint celebrations of the 65th anniversary of Victory are particularly important now, when some forces in the world are attempting to “rewrite or erase the Soviet people’s exceptional contribution to victory in World War II,” and affirmed that China and Russia share identical views in their assessment of the history of World War II.
The Chinese President said that Moscow and Beijing should step up their cooperation in the aim of resolutely defending the importance and accuracy of historical truth. Mr Hu also said that events to celebrate the anniversary of Victory should be organised at the highest level and bring real results.
Mr Hu thanked Mr Medvedev for the invitation to visit Moscow and expressed his gratitude for the humanitarian aid that Russia sent in response to the recent earthquake in China’s Qinghai Province.
Also taking part in the talks on the Russian side were Presidential Aide Sergei Prikhodko, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov, and Secretary of the Security Council Nikolai Patrushev.