BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov. 8

By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:

The adoption of a resolution to combat the glorification of Nazism is of particular relevance, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said.

Zakharova made the remark at the briefing, referring to a resolution entitled “Combating glorification of Nazism, neo-nazism and other practices that contribute to fueling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance” which was adopted by the UN, Trend reports on Nov. 8.

“I would like to emphasize that 61 countries became the co-authors of the document,” the spokesperson said. “Some 121 countries voted for the resolution, the US and Ukraine opposed, 55 countries abstained. The voting results vividly demonstrate the international community’s unchanged support, rendered annually to the UN General Assembly upon the Russian initiative.”

“The adoption of this resolution during the current 74th session of the UN General Assembly is of particular relevance amid the 75th anniversary of the victory in World War II, to be celebrated in 2020,” Zakharova said. “The anti-Hitler coalition was formed during the fight against Nazism and its participants for the first time began to call themselves the united nations. Broad support for this important resolution clearly confirms that the victory gained in 1945 is common for all the UN member-states, which was formed taking into account the catastrophic consequences of the World War II."

The spokesperson stressed that the resolution has expressed great concern over the ongoing war in some countries against the monuments to the fighters against Nazism and fascism, which has recently become the real state policy in a number of countries.

“The opening of memorials, the renaming of streets and schools in honor of those who fought on the side of the Nazis or collaborated with them should be also mentioned here,” Zakharova said. “The concern about the attempts to equate national heroes with those who collaborated with the Nazis during the World War II and committed war crimes and crimes against humanity is expressed.”

“Such actions desecrate the memory of countless victims of Nazism and negatively affect the younger generation, which is absolutely incompatible with the obligations of the UN member-states,” the spokesperson said.

“We are convinced that the anniversary of victory to be held in 2020 is a good occasion to join forces despite the existing disagreements to jointly counteract the glorification of Nazism and the manifestations of neo-Nazism, as well as to prevent falsification of history and the revision of the results of World War II," Zakharova said.

The third committee of the UN General Assembly on social and humanitarian issues adopted the Russian draft resolution on combating the glorification of Nazism by a majority of votes.

The document is called “Combating glorification of Nazism, neo-nazism and other practices that contribute to fueling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance”.

The resolution recommends the countries to take also appropriate specific measures in the legislative field and in the field of education in accordance with their international human rights obligations to prevent the review of the outcome of World War II and the denial of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during the World War II.