MINSK, 27 January (BelTA) - At the invitation of the authorities of the district and town of Spišská Nová Ves, Belarusian Ambassador Andrei Dapkiunas took part in the celebrations dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the liberation of this district from Nazi invaders on 27 January, the Belarusian diplomatic mission in Vienna told BelTA.
Speaking at the memorial rally, Ambassador Andrei Dapkiunas emphasized the importance of preserving the historical memory and friendship between the peoples of Belarus and Slovakia.
“It is a great honor for me to stand before you today
representing my dear Belarus - a country whose people, like the people of
Slovakia, rose up to fight the hardest fight against Nazism. The fight against
the invaders who tried to wipe our peoples, our culture and our history off the
face of the earth. The fight was tragic and cruel. We lost millions of
compatriots. Belarus lost every third person. The memory of the victims will
forever remain in our memory, in our hearts,” the Belarusian Ambassador said. 
He went on saying: “Today we stand here
thanks to those who gave their lives for our freedom. It is the responsibility
of our generation and the generation of our children to preserve this freedom, to
avoid repeating this tragedy, and prevent future generations from forgetting
what our ancestors went through. We are grateful that Slovakia remembers that
terrible war, honors the memory of the fallen and respects the friendship
between our peoples. It is this friendship that allowed us to achieve Victory, to
expel the invaders and return freedom to Europe. Last July, Belarus celebrated
the 80th anniversary of liberation from Nazi invaders. It was a great honor for
us that the Belarusian delegation took part in the celebration of the 80th
anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising in Banská Bystrica in August.”
“Laying flowers at the
monuments of fallen heroes, we should not only recall their heroic deeds. We
should think about what we can do today to preserve peace in Europe, so that
our children and grandchildren live in a free and peaceful world,” Ambassador Andrei
Dapkiunas emphasized
Photos courtesy of the Belarusian Embassy
