Russia’s President Vladimir Putin emphasized the strength of the Russian-Belarusian alliance this Monday when he congratulated his Belarusian counterpart Alexandr Lukashenko on the day Minsk celebrates independence.
“This celebration has a special meaning not only for Belarusians but also for Russians, as we are linked by an important event in our common history: the liberation of Minsk from German fascist invaders,” Putin said in a note posted today on the The Kremlin’s official website is published. . .
The Russian head of state stressed that the “fraternal friendship forged in the war years (1939-1945)” remains the “main pillar of relations” between the two “allied” countries: Russia and Belarus.
“This is fully confirmed today as our countries together face very serious external threats and challenges,” he stressed.
Putin also said that the strengthening of the state union between the two countries will make it possible to “overcome all difficulties” and defend the “legitimate” interests of Moscow and Minsk in the world context.
Belarus Independence Day marks the date when Nazi Germany’s army was defeated in Minsk by the Red Army of the former Soviet Union: July 3, 1944.
The date has been officially celebrated as Independence Day since 1996, following a referendum called for by Lukashenko.
Previously (since 1991), Independence Day was celebrated on July 27, the date of the unilateral declaration of sovereignty of Belarus.
The dates for the country’s independence celebrations are not consensual, with opposition movements suggesting August 25 as it marks the moment, after the 1991 Moscow coup, when Russia formally granted sovereignty to Belarus.
Source: DN
