MOSCOW, May 9. /TASS/. On the eve of Victory Day, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent greetings to the leaders and citizens of foreign states on the occasion of the 81st anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, according to the Kremlin website.

Foreign leaders, including those of North Korea and Serbia, also sent congratulations to Putin and the Russian people.

TASS has compiled the key information regarding the greetings.

European countries

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic handed a letter congratulating Russian President Vladimir Putin on the upcoming Victory Day to Russian Ambassador to Belgrade Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko: "I congratulated him on Victory Day, one of the brightest dates in the history of humanity, with a message that May 9 remains an eternal symbol of the resilience and heroism of our peoples. I emphasized that it is our duty to preserve the memory of all those who died on the side of justice, and that Serbia will not allow attempts to rewrite history. I also stressed that we will forever remember the enormous and decisive role of the Red Army in liberating our country and Europe."

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on May 4 that he would travel to Moscow on May 9 to express gratitude to Red Army soldiers for liberating the country from fascism: "During the liberation of Slovakia, 70,000 young people [Red Army soldiers] died. It was the Red Army. It included everyone <…>. I will go to Moscow on Saturday and lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the Red Army in order to express gratitude on behalf of the Slovak people for the liberation."

On May 8, Fico, who arrived in Moscow to participate in Victory Day celebrations, laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The Slovak government will take care of the graves of Soviet soldiers, Fico promised: "I can promise that the Slovak government will, of course, care for and maintain the graves of Soviet soldiers who died and are buried in Slovakia."

North Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un congratulated Putin on the 81st anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War: "On behalf of the government and people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, I send my sincerest congratulations to you and the Russian leadership, to the entire fraternal Russian people on the occasion of the 81st anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War."

Kim Jong Un expressed deep respect for war veterans who "with incomparable valor and noble patriotic spirit defeated fascism and defended peace and security on earth."

Bahrain

King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa sent a congratulatory telegram to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the occasion of the 81st anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The king of Bahrain expressed to the Russian leader his "sincere congratulations and best wishes of good health and happiness," and wished the friendly people of Russia further progress, prosperity and development.

Pakistan

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari congratulated Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian people on the 81st anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. "President Asif Ali Zardari felicitated President Vladimir Putin and the people of Russia on Victory Day, paying tribute to the sacrifices made in the fight against fascism," his office said in a post on its X social media page.

Zardari also reaffirmed the Islamic republic’s commitment to "strengthening friendship and cooperation between Russia and Pakistan."

Nicaragua

Nicaraguan Co-Presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo sent a congratulatory message to the Russian people and the Russian president on the occasion of Victory Day, highlighting the courage of millions of Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War: "We honor the courage and glory of millions of Soviet comrades who, through their bravery and selflessness, defended the banners of humanity in the immortal struggle against devilish fascism, just as is happening today in the Russian Federation, which is ensuring that this sinister past, which caused so much pain and seeks to inflict it again on the entire world, never returns."

"Eighty-one years have passed since the remarkable and legendary victorious campaign of the Soviet Union, which was capable of such sacrifices in order to put an end to war, death and the suffering of humanity amid the horrors of Nazism and the indifference of many."

UAE

UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan congratulated Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Victory Day, the Russian Foreign Ministry said following a telephone conversation.

UAE Ambassador to Moscow Mohammed Ahmed Al Jaber congratulated the Russian government and people on Victory Day, wishing Russia prosperity and well-being. "I sincerely congratulate the government and people of the Russian Federation on Victory Day, a national holiday that holds a special place in the heart of every Russian person. I wish the Russian Federation further progress and prosperity, and its people goodness and well-being," he said in Russian.

Post-Soviet countries

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said in a congratulatory message to Putin that the memory of the Great Patriotic War serves as a solid foundation for mutual trust and genuine alliance between the two countries: "In the year marking the 85th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, we are especially aware of the true price of Victory and the greatness of the feat accomplished by soldiers and home front workers. Their unbreakable resilience and selflessness forever determined the fate of our fraternal peoples and all humanity, granting future generations the right to freedom and creative labor. The memory of those harsh years is an inseparable part of the spiritual and historical heritage of Belarus and Russia and serves as a solid foundation for mutual trust and genuine alliance."

He also separately congratulated Russians on Victory Day, calling it a great holiday: "I want to congratulate Russians on this great holiday."

Abkhaz President Badra Gunba congratulated Putin on the 81st anniversary of Victory, calling the holiday a symbol of unparalleled courage, resilience and unity of peoples: "This day is forever inscribed in world history as a symbol of unparalleled courage, resilience and unity of peoples. Victory in the Great Patriotic War became the decisive event that determined the fate of all humanity and freed the world from the threat of fascism. The peoples of the Soviet Union, united in the face of mortal danger, demonstrated strength of spirit that remains a moral guide for future generations even today."

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev congratulated his Russian counterpart and the multinational people of Russia on the 81st anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War during a meeting at the Kremlin: "I personally congratulate you and the entire multinational people of Russia on the 81st anniversary of Victory. Of course, this Victory is our common history, it is our common Victory. We must never forget it. Everything that exists must be passed on to the younger generation."

Greetings from the Russian president

On the occasion of the 81st anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the Russian leader sent congratulatory messages to the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as to the peoples of Georgia and Moldova.

On Victory Day, "we pay tribute with gratitude and respect to our fathers and grandfathers who fought shoulder to shoulder on the front lines and worked on the home front, bringing closer the long-awaited Victory over the Nazi invaders at the cost of countless sacrifices and hardships.".