Vladimir Putin sent his greetings to participants in the plenary session of the Commonwealth of Independent States Interparliamentary Assembly marking the 70th anniversary of Victory in the 1941–1945 Great Patriotic War.
The message reads, in part:
“This great victory is the common achievement of our peoples, who, shoulder to shoulder, fought a ruthless foe, defended their homeland’s freedom and independence, and saved Europe from the Nazi yoke. The feats of our fathers and grandfathers will always provide us with a shining example of courage and valour, moral grandeur and true brotherhood between people of different ethnic groups.
We have a sacred duty to preserve the truth about the Great Patriotic War’s events, honour the memory of the fallen, and provide every care to the veterans who are celebrating this glorious date with us. We have a duty to strengthen the spiritual ties between generations and nurture our young people with the lofty ideals of goodness, justice and patriotism.
I am sure that these heroic chapters in our shared history, our pride in this Great Victory, and our traditions of good-neighbourly relations and mutual trust will continue to form a solid foundation for friendship and cooperation between our countries.”