Belgrade To Discuss Poland Not Inviting Russia, Serbia To Anniversary Of WWII Start

Belgrade to Discuss Poland Not Inviting Russia, Serbia to Anniversary of WWII Start

The international conference of the Immortal Regiment movement in Serbia will provide an opportunity to tell the truth about World War II and consider the reasons for why Belgrade and Moscow were not invited to events marking the anniversary of its start in Poland, Serbian Labor Minister Zoran Djordjevic told Sputnik on Tuesday

BELGRADE (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2019) The international conference of the Immortal Regiment movement in Serbia will provide an opportunity to tell the truth about World War II and consider the reasons for why Belgrade and Moscow were not invited to events marking the anniversary of its start in Poland, Serbian Labor Minister Zoran Djordjevic told Sputnik on Tuesday.

Earlier in August, Warsaw decided against inviting Russian officials to the commemoration ceremony for the 80th anniversary of the beginning of WWII. Representatives Serbia also did not receive an invitation. At the same time, NATO and EU allies, including Germany and the Eastern Partnership states took part in the event.

The conference in Belgrade will be held from September 25-26 with the participation of Djordjevic and other senior officials. The event is dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Belgrade from Nazi invaders.

"We planned our conference earlier. We did not even think that Russia and Serbia would not be invited to Poland. We want to promote what is now a state event and talk about things that should not be repeated. Now, there is an opportunity to discuss how, why and under which circumstances someone gave themselves the right not to call [to Warsaw] the countries that were the victors and made a great contribution," Djordjevic said.

The minister expressed confidence that Russia and Serbia would never make the same mistake of not inviting specific countries.

"The Russians and the Serbs are two great nations who know how to forgive, do not forget, but forgive others. Speaking about these things, we will not allow fascism to ever be resurrected. Our president Aleksandar Vucic constantly emphasizes this, I think that he is the one who, side by side with President Vladimir Putin, fights for the ideas and values of anti-fascism," Djordjevic added.

The Immortal Regiment marches took place in May 2019 in Serbia for the fourth time. Last year, the march took place in six cities. In 2019, the marches were organized in more than ten cities, including Belgrade, Nis, Novi sad, Kraljevo, Krusevac, Kragujevac and others. The marches also gathered thousands of people in the cities of Trebinje, Banja Luka and Istocno Sarajevo of the Republika Srpska of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Representatives of the Russian embassy, members of veteran organizations, local authorities and citizens of the country marched with photographs of their liberator-ancestors.