Translated with AI
In honor of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, a special ceremonial meeting was held in the UN General Assembly. This event was organized in accordance with the General Assembly resolution adopted in March at the initiative of Russia and supported by a number of UN member states, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The resolution calls for unity in the fight against threats to international security and the resolution of all disputes within the framework of the UN Charter.
Opening the meeting, the President of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, Philemon Young, called for honouring the memory of all those who gave their lives for freedom, which, as he noted, is often taken for granted. "Most veterans are now over a hundred years old, and the opportunity to hear their voices is becoming increasingly rare. Preserving history is not only a tribute to memory, it is our shared moral responsibility," he stressed.
Young also recalled that the United Nations was created to save future generations from the horrors of war. He noted that the founders of the UN, being experienced statesmen who had lived through many conflicts, sought to create an institution that would be strong enough to maintain peace and unity. “Let us join forces for a global peace that meets all our aspirations,” he added.
In his speech, Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya emphasized that the victory over fascism not only liberated the world from ideologies of racial superiority, but also saved humanity from catastrophe. He noted the importance of the contribution of all countries that participated in the anti-Hitler coalition, including China, which led the fight against Japanese militarism in Asia. "The price of the Soviet Union was 27 million lives, 12 million of which were military losses. The multi-million civilian casualties were the result of the Nazi genocide policy," the diplomat noted.
Stavros Lambrinidis, speaking on behalf of the European Union, described the 80th anniversary of the end of the war as a "deeply tragic chapter" in the history of Europe and the world as a whole. He called on all UN member states to renew their commitment to peaceful cooperation and the creation of a just and prosperous future for all peoples. "A future in which the use of force and aggression will be condemned and left in the past, and peace and cooperation will be the main principles of international law," Lambrinidis added.
A resolution adopted in March established that the General Assembly would hold such commemorative sessions every five years to honor all victims of World War II. The event marked a milestone in the international community's efforts to preserve the memory of the war's tragedy and promote peace and security.
