Warsaw's claims that dismantling of monuments to Soviet soldiers don't violate agreements are incorrect - Russian Foreign Ministry
MOSCOW. Dec 2 (Interfax) - Moscow has called incorrect and groundless the claims of the Polish side that by dismantling 'symbolic' monuments to Soviet soldiers Warsaw does not violate fundamental Russian-Polish bilateral documents regulating cooperation in the sphere of military memorials.
"The argument of the Polish side that the agreement between the government of the Russian Federation and the government of the Republic of Poland on burials and memorial places for victims of wars and reprisals dated February 22, 1994 allegedly does not apply to 'symbolic' monuments that are not elements of burials or military cemeteries is absolutely incorrect," Interfax was told by the Russian Foreign Ministry information and press department.
"Article 1 of the agreement clearly states that its effect applies both to places of remembrance and to burials [Russian in the territory of Poland and Polish in the territory of Russia] of military men and civilians who died, were killed or tortured to death as a result of wars and reprisals. The 1994 agreement does not say a word about a memorial site having to be solely an element of a burial or military cemetery. This means that it directly applies, for instance, to such monuments to Russian soldiers as the monument to General Igor Chernyakhovsky dismantled in the Polish town of Pieniezno," the foreign ministry said.
Previously Polish Ambassador to Russia Katarzyna Pelczynska-Nalecz said in an interview with Interfax that Poland is not breaking any international obligations and is conducting its policy in strict compliance with every bilateral agreement.