EMBASSY INFORMS
Ambassador Andrei Kelin's article published on the website of Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) on 2 July 2020. Question: How would you comment on the recent reports in British media that Russia supposedly offered “bounty” to the Taliban to kill UK as well as US soldiers in Afghanistan? People of Russia, Our dear veterans, Foreign guests, Soldiers and sailors, sergeants, warrant officers and ensigns, Officers, generals and admirals, I wish you all the best on the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. A victory that determined the future of the planet for decades to come and went down in history as the grandest in its scale, significance and moral value. This year, the traditional Victory Day celebrations are being held in Russia on June 24. Exactly 75 years ago, the legendary victors paraded right here, along the Kremlin wall, to commemorate the end of the Great Patriotic War. That parade went down in history as a triumph of unprecedented scale, the triumph of good over evil, of peace over war, and life over death. This year, to mark the 75th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, British veterans of the Arctic Convoys have been awarded with Russian commemorative medal '75 years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945'. We will allways be grateful to you for your contribution to our common victory against Nazi Germany and we shall never forget those who sacrificed their lives for today's peaceful sky. Thank you! On the Day of Memory and Sorrow Ambassador Andrei Kelin took part in a commemorative Candle Lighting Ceremony near the Soviet War Memorial in London. Together we pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives defending the Motherland against the Nazis during the Great Patriotic War. Ladies and gentlemen,
First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to our Belarusian friends for the warm welcome accorded to our delegation. 75 years have passed since the end of the Great Patriotic War. Several generations have grown up over the years. The political map of the planet has changed. The Soviet Union that claimed an epic, crushing victory over Nazism and saved the entire world is gone. Besides, the events of that war have long become a distant memory, even for its participants. So why does Russia celebrate the 9th of May as the biggest holiday? Why does life almost come to a halt on June 22? And why does one feel a lump rise in their throat? They usually say that the war has left a deep imprint on every family's history. Behind these words, there are fates of millions of people, their sufferings and the pain of loss. Behind these words, there is also the pride, the truth and the memory. Public discussions about possible outcomes of the Kosovo knot have become noticeably livelier recently. The United States and the EU are striving to make themselves an indispensable part of the settlement and are competing for the leading role in this process. In addition, as it happened before, they often disregard the opinions of other stakeholders, which fact calls into question the very possibility of finding a fair solution. Looking back into the recent past and analysing the regrettable consequences of external interference in the region’s affairs is something that must be done if we want to avoid making more mistakes. We also believe it is important to provide a general assessment of the current state of affairs and to outline our fundamental approaches to the Kosovo settlement. On 17 June 2020, the Embassy hosted the ceremony of presenting school diplomas of upper (full) secondary education to the graduates of the Russian Embassy School. Messages of congratulations were said by Ambassador Andrei Kelin and the school Principal Sergey Salomakhin, who presented the long-awaited diplomas as well as gold medals to those who completed the school course with excellence. Last week, Washington announced more unilateral sanctions. Unfortunately, this has already become common practice for the United States. These sanctions are directed at an unusual target - not one of the many countries that are out of US favour, but the International Criminal Court and its staff. This event was the subject of a joint briefing by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defence, the Attorney General and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs.
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