MOSCOW, May 15. /TASS/. A system of equal and indivisible security for all countries can only be created through joint efforts, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the Serbian daily newspaper Politika. The text of the interview has been posted on Friday on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
"Our common goal today is to form a system of equal and indivisible security for all countries," Lavrov said. "It’s obvious that we will be able to effectively counter the numerous modern-day challenges only by joint effort."
- Putin urges Western countries to build global security system on non-aligned basis
- New world security architecture unimaginable without Russia — Greek PM
- Modern Europe needs new security system — Russian diplomat
- Russia, China seek to form Asia-Pacific collective security system — defense minister
- Ukrainian conflict caused by European security system crisis, not vice versa — Lavrov
- NATO, US missile defense plans threaten Russian nuclear forces — chief of General Staff
- Shoigu: Non-strategic missile shield in Europe capable of providing regional security
"Full recognition of the results of World War Two enshrined in the UN Charter and other international documents is obligatory," he noted. "We will continue to counter the glorification of Nazism, any forms and manifestations of racism, xenophobia, aggressive nationalism and chauvinism."
Russia’s top diplomat spoke highly of the decision of Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic to take part in the celebrations to mark the anniversary of the Victory and to dispatch an army unit to the parade on Red Square on May 9. "We regard this as a clear manifestation of mutual friendly feelings of our peoples based on centuries-old traditions, spiritual kinship and comradeship-in-arms," Lavrov said. "We assume that that the preservation of historical memory will continue to be the basis for expanding cooperation between our two countries."
"I would like once again to thank everyone who was able to come to Moscow for the celebrations dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, who spent these memorable days with us, paid tribute to war veterans who saved Europe and the entire world from the Nazi madness," he added.
"To accept or not to accept the invitation is a free choice of every country, every leader," Lavrov said. "In particular, we appreciate the decision of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier to pay homage to Soviet people who gave their lives for Victory in Moscow and Volgograd, even though outside the framework of the formal celebrations. At the same time, it’s clear that any short-term political considerations and geopolitical calculations pale beside the scale of courage, heroism and self-sacrifice displayed by the peoples of the Soviet Union during the harsh war years."
"The main lesson of that horrible war is to make every possible step to avoid the repetition is a similar tragedy in the future," Lavrov said. "The members of the anti-Hitler coalition were able to join forces 70 years ago to deal a devastating blow the criminal ideology of Nazism and to lay the foundations for the postwar world order, including the establishment of the United Nations.".