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Russian grateful to Serbia for prompt reaction to desecration of Eternal Fire in Belgrade

The monument in the Belgrade Liberators Memorial Park was desecrated by unidentified perpetrators on December 29

MOSCOW, December 30. /TASS/. Russia has no doubts that the Serbian authorities will bring those responsible for the desecration of the Eternal Fire memorial in Belgrade to justice, and expressed its gratitude for the prompt reaction to the incident, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in the statement Wednesday.

"We share the indignation of the Serbian public over the December 30 act of vandalism. […] In an attempt to cast shadow on the brotherly relations between the people of Russia and Serbia, some scoundrels had the nerve to offend the memory of the Soviet and Yugoslavian warriors, who fell fighting against the Nazi occupants," the statement says. "We are grateful to the Serbian authorities for the prompt reaction to the incident. We have no doubt that the guilty will be found and brought to justice."

Zakharova underscored that such "cheap criminal stunt" cannot rock the foundations of the Russian-Serbian relations.

"The Belgrade Eternal Fire is one of the symbols that remind about the high price we had to pay for the peaceful skies, the ability to live and build today, for the freedom of Europe. Apparently, someone does not like that," the diplomat added.

The monument in the Belgrade Liberators Memorial Park was desecrated by unidentified perpetrators on December 29. The monument was smeared with paint and concrete mix, and vandalized with insulting graffiti.

The Russian Embassy in Serbia expressed its shock over the incident, saying it expects a proper reaction from the law enforcement.

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Serbia Maria Zakharova

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