BEIJING, 8 May/TASS correspondent Andrei Kirillov. The victory over Nazism, fascism and militarism 75 years ago predetermined the future of the world, Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Vladimir Norov said in an interview with TASS on Friday.
"The 75th anniversary of Victory Day is an event of worldwide historical importance," Norov said, adding that the world has greatly changed since the memorable day of 9 May, 1945. Several new generations have come of age since then, science and technology are advancing rapidly, socioeconomic opportunities have expanded, new cultural monuments are being created, and outer space is being explored.
"It is hard to imagine having all of this without the victory over Nazism, fascism and militarism 75 years ago. The more time goes by, the more clearly we see the importance of the Great Victory, which predetermined the fate of the world," the SCO Secretary-General said.
"9 May is a special day that is marked in many SCO member states. It is a symbol of our common pride, primarily, for our fathers and grandfathers who have committed this great feat of arms," he went on to say. "This special day personifies unity, friendship and mutual support of many countries and peoples, especially the peoples of the SCO Family who have brought tremendous sacrifices in the name of Victory in WWII." According to Vladimir Norov, the memory of the joint battle "is the greatest asset of our nations who are committed to friendship, neighbourliness and mutual support for the benefit of common progress, that is, the ideals that are enshrined in the SCO Charter." "Our primary goal is to implement them with dignity," the SCO Secretary-General said.
Not to be forgotten
Responding to a request to say what he thinks about the efforts of certain forces to obliterate or distort the importance of the Victory of the peoples of the former Soviet Union and Allies over Nazism, Vladimir Norov said that the WWII history, in which a significant part of humanity was involved, "commits us to do our best not to let new destructive ideas emerge."
"We must resolutely counter the attempts to provide distorted moral or legal evaluations of the outcome of the war or to obliterate the lessons of this common human tragedy," he said, adding that victory in WWII determined the current world order, which is embodied in the UN Charter.
"Reaffirming their commitment to the main goals and principles of the UN Charter and the universally recognised norms of international law, the SCO member states call for active cooperation in enhancing the UN standing and role, creating a fair and democratic international order, strengthening security and stability around the world, as well as building up efforts to overcome modern challenges and threats," Vladimir Norov said.
Irredeemable debt
The current generation owes an irredeemable debt to those who gave up their lives on the battlefields or worked selflessly on the home front, the SCO Secretary-General noted.
"We would like to pass on our responsibility with regard to all those who provided us with a peaceful life to the younger generation. I'm referring to upholding the memory of WWII and its heroes. It is important to treat military monuments and memorial sites with care and respect, and to prevent falsification of the outcome and history of the war. Most importantly, it's important to resist the attempts to revive radical or extremist ideology," he pointed out.
"In this regard, we consider it important to educate the younger generation in the spirit of honouring such eternal values as patriotism, high morality and tolerance. Special attention should be paid to the unique historical, cultural and civilisational legacy of the peoples of the SCO member states. Victory in WWII is our common historical heritage," Vladimir Norov said in closing.

Source: TASS