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Belarus, partners call on OSCE to counter manifestations of neo-Nazism
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MINSK, 5 December (BelTA) - At the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in Vienna, the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan issued a joint statement marking the 80th anniversary of the Victory over Nazism in World War II, BelTA has learned.
In their joint statement, the ministers stressed the timeless importance of the Victory over Nazism in World War II for all humankind. They also highlighted the significance of the war’s outcomes and the Nuremberg Trials’ decisions, which aimed to prevent past errors from recurring and to spare the world from the horrors of war.
The foreign ministers also noted with concern the spread of various extremist movements and ideologies of a racist and xenophobic nature, including neo-Nazism, “which is not limited to the glorification of a past movement but represents a modern phenomenon whose adherents advocate ideas of national or racial superiority”.
Invoking the UN General Assembly resolution “Combating glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fueling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance”, the ministers reaffirmed their commitment to efforts aimed at preventing the revision or distortion of the outcomes of World War II and the downplaying of the contribution made by the peoples of the Soviet Union and the liberation movements of European countries to the defeat of Nazism.
“We express our intention to resolutely suppress activities aimed at glorifying the Nazi movement, rehabilitating former members of the Waffen-SS and their accomplices, and denying the war crimes and crimes against humanity they committed. We are convinced of the importance of working with young people, primarily in the information space, to prevent the spread of the ideology of neo-Nazism and militant nationalism,” the statement reads.
The diplomats consider it necessary to utilize all OSCE tools to combat the spread of ideas of racial superiority, manifestations of racism, xenophobia, and related intolerance.
The foreign ministers called on the current OSCE Chairpersonship and the leadership of the OSCE's executive structures to duly assess cases of neo-Nazism, glorification, and rehabilitation of Nazis and their accomplices. They also proposed consolidating international efforts to preserve the historical memory of World War II and to counter any manifestations of neo-Nazism.
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