Lavrov at CIS Foreign Ministers Council: Preserving historical memory is more crucial than ever

MOSCOW, 17 April (BelTA) - The joint efforts of CIS countries to preserve historical memory are especially in demand under current conditions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the CIS Foreign Ministers Council meeting in Moscow on 17 April, BelTA has learned.

Sergey Lavrov thanked representatives of CIS countries for their joint work in strengthening the CIC’s potential. “Special words of gratitude for your active participation in the events marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War, which took place last year, and whose culmination was the ceremonial parade on Red Square. Today we discussed the need to continue joint work to preserve and strengthen the memory of the heroes of that war, of the generations who represented the peoples of the Soviet Union and became the victorious generation,” he said.

The Russian minister drew attention to the documentary collections The Republics to the Front. 1941-1945, dedicated to the contribution of each republic of the former Soviet Union to the Victory. The materials were presented at the meeting. “This publication reflects new facts that testify to the crucial role of the home front in defeating Nazism. This fundamental work, without exaggeration, was prepared by a team of highly qualified experts and historians from Russia and other CIS states, with the support of the secretariats of our countries’ Security Councils. There is no doubt that our common efforts within the CIS to preserve the memory of the feat of our ancestors, let me emphasize this once again, are more crucial than ever,” he said.

CIS Secretary General Sergei Lebedev reported that, as is customary, the heads of delegations used the narrow-format meeting to exchange views on pressing issues of the international agenda and to improve cooperation within the CIS. “The heads of delegations spent twice as much time exchanging views as had been planned,” he said. “Indeed, a detailed discussion took place on all items on the agenda. A protocol decision was adopted to hold the next meeting of the CIS Foreign Ministers Council on 7 October 2026. The venue will be the Awaza national tourist zone in Turkmenistan.”