MOSCOW, July 09. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for fighting any manifestations of Nazism.

“Reviving ideas of Nazism cause serious concerns,” the president said at a meeting with representatives of international public and religious organizations on Wednesday. He thanked “Jewish communities, public organizations that continue fighting uncompromisingly with any manifestations and any attempts of Nazi ideology actively and courageously, referring to some situations in the modern world.”

“We take you as our closest allies in this regard and ask you to consider us in this manner as well,” Putin said.

The president noted that the Wednesday meeting was held on the eve of a sorrowful date - tragic events in July 1942 when thousands of Jews were killed in the Crimean city of Sevastopol.

In the view of Putin, the Jewish people suffered a lot during World War Two when “six million Jews were executed in the Soviet Union and Europe”. Putin also noted that representatives of Jewish people were fighting courageously against fascism and have made a major contribution to victory. “The tragedy of Jewish people takes a special place among crimes which Nazi Germany committed during the war. We are feeling this pain in Russia as no one else, as more than 20 million Soviet citizens died during World War Two,” the president noted.

Putin shared his recollections about his visit to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Israel, noting that the Tolerance Museum created in Moscow also focuses on World War Two events. “I want to reassure you that we in Russia will always remember this tragedy, will always cherish this memory about those who perished and will do everything to avert repetition of this tragedy in the future,” Putin said.