The meeting was attended by President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev, President of Russia Vladimir Putin, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rakhmon, President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov, as well as the CIS Executive Secretary and Chairman of the Executive Committee Sergey Lebedev.
The sides discussed the upcoming celebration of the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, stressing the decisive contribution of the Soviet Union in saving Europe and the world from fascism.
The participants also discussed the possibility of holding the next informal meeting of the CIS Heads of State in October this year in Astana.
In his speech, Nursultan Nazarbayev noted that the meeting was a tribute to veterans and home front workers.
“In the tragic years of war, our people stood together against the Nazi threat. It was our country that carried the main burden of the war. Our fathers and grandfathers won. If they did not, it would have been hard to predict in what way the politics and economy would develop, and where our people would be today. Like all the countries present here today, Kazakhstan has made a significant contribution to the Great Victory. In fact, 20 percent of the country’s population of that period, which is half a million people, took to the field of battle and only half of them came back. More than 500 people were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. Like other countries, Kazakhstan became a reliable home front for the Armed Forces. This Victory is important for everyone, including veterans and young people,” he said.
The President stressed that today some politicians attempt to revise the outcome of the war by distorting historical facts.
“For us, this approach is not acceptable. We must work together to preserve the truth about our victory and instill the memory of it in the next generations to prevent such a catastrophe in the future. Today, we see that not all the people have learned the lesson of war, repeating the mistakes of the past. We are going through difficult times, the hotbeds of instability and new conflicts are expanding. The emphasis is made on power, not on a diplomatic solution, which is fraught with great dangers,” he added.
The Head of State noted that international terrorism has become one of the biggest threats of modern times, having acquired a global character.
“Internal political stability and peaceful development of many countries are under threat. Only through our joint efforts can we resist this evil. At present, the CIS has established a comprehensive counter-terrorism system. In this regard, there is a need to improve the efficiency of the instruments we have created within the Commonwealth,” he said.
In conclusion, Nursultan Nazarbayev congratulated everyone on the upcoming holiday.
“For me personally, like for all Kazakhstanis, the Victory in the Great Patriotic War remains a symbol of courage and unity of our people. The heroism and courage, self-sacrifice and love for the country, manifested in those years, are the fundamentals of military-patriotic education,” he maintained.
Vladimir Putin, in turn, on behalf of the CIS Heads of State congratulated Nursultan Nazarbayev on his victory in the presidential election. The Russian leader also noted that this year Kazakhstan is chairing the CIS.
