RZHEV, May 7. /TASS/. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov unveiled a memorial to Kyrgyz soldiers killed during the Great Patriotic War in Rzhev in the Tver Region on Sunday.
"I would like to note the contribution of our compatriots to the shared victory. It is symbolic that precisely the Rzhev area was selected for the monument representing our mountains. It is common knowledge that during the Great Patriotic War the Rzhev-Vyazma flank was one of the areas of the fiercest fighting. I am confident that this memorial will serve as a symbol of our eternal memory of all the heroes who fought for our future," he said at the opening ceremony. The Kyrgyz president added that "their deeds and sacrifices should not be forgotten, they will remain in memory as a contribution to the joint victory."
At the ceremony, Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin stressed that the foundation of Kyrgyz-Russian relations lies in respecting the ancestors who defended the country together and "made it possible to build our countries, shaping relations on the principles of friendship, reciprocity and mutual respect." He stressed that "there are no double standards in these relations while there is respect and non-interference in the domestic affairs of other sovereign countries."
The memorial to Kyrgyz soldiers killed in the Great Patriotic War was completed in early June 2020. It depicts the Kyrgyz Ala-Too Range and was fully funded by Kyrgyzstan.
Over 363,000 Kyrgyz nationals or every fourth resident in the republic fought in the Great Patriotic War with about 100,000 killed.