Medvedev Congratulates Georgia on WWII Victory Day

The Georgian and Russian people “have never been enemies” and “mutual attraction between the two spiritually close nations will help to develop mutually beneficial, partner relations,” Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, said in his message to the Georgian people congratulating WWII Victory Day.

“On May 9 we honour our fathers and grandfathers who fought shoulder to shoulder on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War, crushed Nazism, upheld our freedom, and influenced the entire course of world history,” the message posted on the Kremlin website on May 8 reads. “The joint struggle against Nazi invaders is one of the most memorable and heroic pages in the centuries-old chronicles of Russian-Georgian friendship. We will never forget that it was a Russian, Mikhail Yegorov, and a Georgian, Meliton Kantaria, who hoisted the flag on top of the disarmed Reichstag.”

“Our common historical heritage and tradition of good-neighborliness and partnership remains a solid foundation for the restoration of trust and mutual understanding between our peoples, peoples who have never been enemies. And despite the fact that today relations between Russia and Georgia are being subjected to severe tests, people-to-people contacts, cooperation between social and cultural organisations, and links between Russian and Georgian Orthodox churches continue unabated. All this gives us hope that the mutual attraction between the two spiritually close nations will help us work together and develop mutually beneficial, partner relations.”

Speaking at Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9 Medvedev said: “Our victory over fascism is a great example and a great lesson to all nations, a lesson which is still topical today, when again and again people appear who indulge in military adventurism… Defense of our homeland is our holy duty… We are sure that any aggression against our citizens will be decisively rebuffed.”

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