MINSK, 15 February (BelTA) – Internationalist warriors defend national interests together with the entire Belarusian nation. State Secretary of the Security Council of Belarus Aleksandr Volfovich made the statement during a rally held on the Island of Courage and Sorrow in Minsk on 15 February. The rally was dedicated to the 37th anniversary of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, BelTA has learned.
Aleksandr Volfovich said: “Internationalist warriors have made a significant contribution and today together with the entire Belarusian nation they defend national interests and continue doing their part by bringing up the younger generation. We thank them for what they did back then and we thank them for what they do today.”
The state secretary of the Security Council noted that participants of the rally traditionally gather on the Island of Courage and Sorrow to pay tribute to and honor the memory of internationalist soldiers, participants in the Afghan War, and participants in all local conflicts.
He noted that no one back then thought that this war would drag on for many years. During the Afghan War more than 620,000 Soviet military personnel fulfilled their duty, demonstrated courage, and remained true to their oath, helping the Afghan people defend their freedom and independence.
“In addition to combat operations the Soviet citizens carried out a noble mission: they built schools, hospitals, enterprises, and helped develop the national economy,” Aleksandr Volfovich added.
Today the world has not become simpler. The geopolitical situation is probably even more acute and complex than it was then, the state secretary of the Security Council continued. But the Belarusian nation knows and remembers its history. After all, those who ignore the lessons of history risk repeating its terrible pages. “More than 60 conflicts of varying intensity are taking place in the world. Perhaps the most striking conflict is near the borders of the Republic of Belarus, in the territory of Ukraine,” he said.
“The Belarusian nation does not want to repeat what happened more than 80 years ago when our grandfathers and great-grandfathers fought to defend and protect the world from Nazism and fascism,” Aleksandr Volfovich emphasized. “We respect our grandfathers and great-grandfathers, we respect the internationalist soldiers who carried out a noble mission. This is why matters of historical memory in our country are considered to be a national interest”.
In his comments to reporters the state secretary of the Security Council mentioned an important task: it is necessary to use such events as examples in order to educate the younger generation so that young people would know that peace and security are the most precious things. This is why today in Belarus all measures are being taken to preserve a peaceful and secure sky over the country’s territory.
“And Afghan War veterans certainly do a lot. They educate generations, they pass on their experience, they are examples of patriotic citizens of their country, and this is very important. This is why such events are held everywhere today. Our head of state attaches great importance to these events,” said Aleksandr Volfovich, adding that the annual address to internationalist soldiers, veterans of the war in Afghanistan, which was read out during the rally today, confirms it.
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