ArmInfo. The International Forum of Winners "The Great Victory, reached through unity: the courage of the front - the resilience of the rear", held on April 28 in Astana, gathered on its platform veterans and participants from 15 post-Soviet republics.
Before the forum, solemn laying of wreaths to the Memorial of the Great Patriotic War "Otan kurgaushylar" and flowers to the eternal flame took place. The 94-year veteran of the Second World War, the head of the Committee of War Veterans and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, Colonel Petros Petrosyan, laid a wreath from the Armenian side.
President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev in his message of greetings to the forum participants noted that it was the older generation of Kazakhstanis who forged the Victory. The Kazakh leader stressed the importance of holding such forums as platforms for discussing topical issues related to the Great Patriotic War. According to him, a number of important initiatives, such as the action "Immortal Battalion", "Millions of Panfilovians" and many others, are being discussed at the forum's platforms, topical issues of the history of the Second World War and counteraction to attempts of its falsification are being discussed.
In his turn, Russian President Vladimir Putin in his welcome address stated that these meetings, which have become traditional, are an important consolidation factor of the states. At the same time, he noted that Kazakhstan made an invaluable contribution to the overall Victory: "We must carefully preserve and protect the historical truth about the Second World War, the traditions and the spirit of the alliance in the fight against Nazism."
At the end of the forum, the final resolution reads in particular: "The anniversary of the Great Victory unites us, citizens of different countries, people with different political convictions, religion and life experience. Confirming the fundamental importance of the Victory and our memory of it for our countries and peoples, for the whole modern world.
We again refer to the memory of the War and Victory as the source of truth, honor, values, true patriotism. We understand that our peoples are Winners. That our great-grandfathers at the cost of incredible sacrifices and deprivations brought freedom and peace to Europe and to all mankind. We honor the memory of the fact that we were together in the fight against Nazism - together on the side of freedom. Victory reminds us that myths about national and or other exclusivity lead to tragedies, to misfortunes, to innumerable victims.
We must keep the memory of their heroism and raise voice against attempts to slander it. We must keep the brotherhood that has forever united our peoples in the struggle for the Victory."
The organizers of the event are the Political Center "North-South" and the Development Fund "The Institute of Eurasian Studies" with the support of the Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation of the CIS member states.
Since 2010, the Forum was hosted by the Russian cities of Tuapse, Vladikavkaz, Volgograd, Kursk, Moscow. In 2016, the Forum was held in the Hero City of Minsk.