BELGRADE, May 12. /TASS/. People of Serbia are proud of President Tomislav Nicolic’s decision to join in Russia's commemorations marking 70 years since Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, Serbian Parliament Speaker Maja Gojkovic said on Tuesday,
"We are proud that Serbia has taken part in the celebrations commemorating the Day of Victory over fascism around the world, and we have worthily marked this holiday [the 70th anniversary of victory in World War Two]," Gojkovic told journalists after talks with her Russian counterpart Valentina Matviyenko.
Gojkovic expressed her delight at "President Tomislav’s participation in Moscow’s Victory Day celebrations and satisfaction that a Serbian military unit also took part in the commemorations of this Great Victory".
She stressed that May 9 was a very important date and "no one should ever forget its greatness".
"We simply have no right to do it because so many lives have been sacrificed for freedom of Serbia, Europe and the whole world," she said.
Federation Council Speaker Matviyenko noted that Russia "highly appreciates Serbia’s independent and free foreign policy stance".
This referred both to the country’s refusal to join the United States and the European Union in imposing sanctions against Moscow over Ukraine, despite the enormous pressure, and to the Serbian president’s decision to attend World War Two commemorations in the Russian capital, Matviyenko said.
Serbia’s people "displayed incredible courage and heroism" in the fight against fascism, she said, adding that: "This is our common victory."
The events that have unfolded at multiple locations across Russia this weekend "mean that the people of Russia and other nations of the world have paid tribute to those who died for our freedom and have bowed to veterans", Matviyenko said. "This is the most important thing, no matter who came or failed to come [to attend the celebrations in Moscow]," she added.