Стр. 2 - V

Author : Sergey Lavrov
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
DEAR VETERANS, esteemed colleagues, friends,
First of all, I would like to offer heartfelt congratula-
tions to the veterans who participated in the Great Pa-
triotic War, those who selflessly worked on the home
front during the hard war years and all those present,
on the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory. It is a
great holiday, a great anniversary, and a guarantee of
the continuity of our country and the bonds of time.
We have never divided the Victory into ours and
somebody else's. We have always praised the contri-
bution of our anti-Hitler coalition allies, all those who
fought against Nazism shoulder to shoulder in the name of truth and justice. On May 9, many
heads of state and government, heads of international organizations and veterans from over 20
countries will be in Red Square. Military units from our partners in the Commonwealth of In-
dependent States, as well as India, China, Mongolia, and Serbia, willmarch together with Russian
participants in the parade.
The Ministry's veterans include 61 participants in the Great Patriotic War, nine residents of
Leningrad during the siege, three inmates of Nazi camps, and 127 workers on the home front.
We pay tribute to our predecessors who, in those difficult years, did all they could to defend the
country's foreign policy interests and create and consolidate the anti-Hitler coalition, and worked
consistently to bring about the opening of the Second Front. A special focus was put on efforts
to build the foundations of a fair postwar security architecture, which were crowned by the
founding of the UN, the 70th anniversary of which is being widely marked this year.
Today, like never before, it is crucial to remember the lessons of that global catastrophe and the
terrible consequences of faith in one's exceptionalism.
Thanks to the Russian leadership's attention to the Foreign Ministry, last year, a presidential ex-
ecutive order was issued to raise pensions for the majority of diplomatic service veterans. For
our part, we are doing all we can to mobilize available resources to provide support to all veterans
without exception. In this context, we are especially grateful to our missions abroad.
Seventy years ago, the most devastating war in the history of humankind - a great, decisive battle,
as our well-known author and war veteran Daniil Granin put it - came to an end. It is our sacred
duty to remember the participants in that unprecedented struggle and take care of those who
returned as victors and are still with us today.
Once again my best wishes to the veterans on this great holiday. I wish you good health, wellbeing
and joy.
Электронное приложение к журналу «Международная жизнь»
International Affairs: Summary№4, 2015
The Great Victory as a Source of Our National Pride