On Thursday, February 20, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Aleksandr Zhukov
Alexander Dmitrievich
and the deputies from various factions met with Chairman of the German-Russian Forum Matthias Platzeck.
Opening the meeting, Aleksandr Zhukov emphasized that the German-Russian Forum ”is one of the very important and sought-after venues for the development of our relations.“
“In the light of the general tension of the political situation, — and we know that in Germany the political elite, in general, is negatively inclined towards Russia, — the Forum and its work stand apart. Your position to Russia — a position aimed at constructive dialogue — has been repeatedly attacked by the German media and German politicians. Nevertheless, you are following this line,” said the First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma.
“And we see that largely thanks to your work, the situation has been gradually changing lately. Despite the continuing unfriendly attitude, the dialogue is developing, and there is a certain shift in many areas,” added Aleksandr Zhukov.
“We see a request to improve relations with our country,” said the parliamentarian.
He especially emphasized the importance of the Forum’s position on the Nord Stream 2 project. “This project is very important from an economic point of view for both Germany and Russia,” said Aleksandr Zhukov. “And there is no doubt that it will be completed,” he added.
During the meeting, its participants discussed the upcoming celebration of the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. Matthias Platzeck pointed out that for his country this year is also special, as it is the year of the liberation of Europe.
“But not everyone supports this point of view. This year we will hold several events to highlight historical facts again, to elucidate them so that the facts remain facts and not to be falsified,” said the Chairman of the German-Russian Forum.
Deputy
Chairwoman of the State Duma Irina Iarovaia
Irina Anatolievna
proposed to hold international
events dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Nuremberg Tribunal in Nuremberg
in 2021.
“On October 1, 1946, the verdict of the International Military Tribunal was announced in Nuremberg, which gave an objective legal and historical assessment of the crimes of World War II and became the starting point of the organization of the modern world security order. The verdict of the Nuremberg Tribunal is inherently protective for the whole world, because it provides answers to any provocations of modern politicians. Such significant historical dates are new historical points of reference. Because the truth about that war is the foundation of international security today, when attempts to distort and rewrite history are becoming more aggressive and cynical,” the Deputy Chairwoman of the State Duma suggested.
“International events, dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Nuremberg Tribunal, could definitely contribute not only to strengthening historical justice and truth, but also to its unconditional spread across the world, curbing the ambitions of those who are trying to distort the real contribution of our country to liberation of the world from fascism,” said Irina Iarovaia.
“The verdict of the Nuremberg Tribunal should be included in the educational programs of students in all countries. If this legal act had been given for review, even without any comments, unscrupulous politicians would not have been able to change much in the minds of the younger generation. This knowledge would protect the world from Russophobia, the justification of the Nazi criminals, their accomplices, would not allow modern Nazism to spread,” she added.
Representatives of the German-Russian Forum supported these proposals. The participants of the meeting also agreed that the Forum could become a substantive platform for cooperation between the parliaments of Russia and Germany.
