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Polish Foreign Minister says international laws do not protect Soviet monuments

At the same time, Witold Waszczykowski stressed that "if these are monuments in the cemetery, they are under protection"

MOSCOW, August 7. /TASS/. Monuments to Soviet soldiers are not protected from demolition by any international laws, Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski said in an interview with Kommersant business daily.

"Once again: neither international laws nor bilateral agreements protect such monuments", the Polish minister said.

At the same time, Waszczykowski stressed that "if these are monuments in the cemetery, they are under protection". "If theye are not, why should we appreciate them?" he said.

On June 22, Poland’s Sejm (lower house of parliament) passed the amendments to the law banning the propaganda of Communism or any other totalitarian regime that envisage the demolition of Soviet-era monuments, including those dedicated to the Red Army. Polish President Andrzej Duda earlier endorsed the amendments.

In response the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Poland’s decision to topple Soviet War monuments is a direct provocation that will have consequences.