MINSK, 15 August (BelTA) - Belarus and China honor historical memory and will not permit its distortion, Belarusian First Deputy Prime Minister Nikolai Snopkov said at the opening ceremony of a Chinese photo exhibition titled Remembering the Past, Building the Future at the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory, BelTA has learned.
Nikolai Snopkov emphasized the special significance of the event for both nations. “Today, we pay tribute to the heroism of our peoples in the fight against German fascism and Japanese militarism. Both Belarus and China paid an enormous price for Victory in this terrible war,” the first vice premier said. “For China, the war began on 18 September 1931 in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, while for Belarus and the entire USSR, it started ten years later, on 22 June 1941 at the Brest Hero Fortress. It is symbolic that today Liaoning Province and Brest Oblast are twin regions.”
“We sacredly honor and carefully preserve the memory of soldiers, partisans, and homefront workers who, over eighty years ago, brought our common Victory closer. We gratefully remember the names of Chinese partisans who fought fascists in Vitebsk and honor Belarusian heroes who gave their lives resisting Japanese aggressors in the skies and on the soil of China. Their valor will never be forgotten in our countries,” Nikolai Snopkov said.
“Unfortunately, living witnesses of those terrible years are becoming fewer. That is why exhibitions like this are so vital, to pass the memory of war’s horrors from generation to generation, to honor our ancestors, to uphold the truth about those events, and to prevent anyone from rewriting history, whitewashing criminals, or tarnishing the honor of true heroes,” the first deputy prime minister stressed.
He recalled that shared historical memory underpinned the UN General Assembly resolution on the 80th Anniversary of the End of World War II, which mandates regular special sessions to commemorate the war’s victims.
“Belarus and China walk hand in hand on the path of progress. Our cooperation grows stronger and deeper each year. Very soon, the president of Belarus will attend commemorative events in Beijing marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Japanese militarism and the end of World War II,” Nikolai Snopkov said.
He thanked the Chinese embassy in Belarus and the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War for organizing the exhibition.
Nikolai Snopkov expressed confidence that the exhibition would reveal new facets of Belarus-China friendship, a foundation for their successful international partnership and shared future.
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