OREANDA-NEWS. December 3, 2010. Question: A group of ambassadors of European countries accredited in Vilnius a few days ago undertook a sharp demarche over the publication in the local weekly newspaper Veidas of an article by a Lithuanian Interior Ministry employee denying the Holocaust and calling into question the Nuremberg Tribunal’s judgments. How could you comment on this situation?

Answer: I am glad that finally our partners have responded to the publications and statements regularly appearing in Lithuania and other Baltic countries actually whitening the Nazi war criminals. Russia has firmly and consistently been calling for tough rebuff against unscrupulous attempts to rewrite the history of World War II and encourage pro-Nazi sentiment. This not only tramples upon the memory of the fallen fighters against fascism, but also offends the feelings of veterans of World War II.

We intend to continue to rigidly suppress any inclinations to distort the realities of the past and will seek unequivocal condemnation of such actions by the international community. Participating in the unveiling ceremony of the Museum on Nuremberg Trials on November 21, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov particularly stressed that “it is the duty of the world community to wage an uncompromising struggle against manifestations of neo-Nazism, racial hatred, xenophobia and extremism, by making use of an extensive legal toolbox. Even the slightest concession to the ‘demons of the past,’ forgetting history, or attempting to rewrite it are fraught with new tragedies.”

We are planning to raise the topic once again in the upcoming Russia-EU summit in Brussels. We expect a positive reaction from our partners.