Steinmeier vows to prevent all wars in Europe after visiting war memorials in Volgograd
VOLGOGRAD. May 7 (Interfax) - German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has said that visiting the war memorials in Volgograd has made him even more determined to prevent a repeat of the Second World War in Europe.
"What will remain in my memory from this visit is an even greater determination to do whatever is possible to make sure that wars and devastation never happen in Europe again and that people never cause each other such inhumane suffering," he said after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Volgograd on Thursday.
"In these days, when we are remembering the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, we are talking about gratitude with the deepest sorrow. And I would particularly like to express this gratitude to the people here, in Volgograd, who paid the biggest price back then in Stalingrad and made their absolutely invaluable contribution not just in bringing the war to an end, but also in ending the existence of the terrible Nazi regime," the German minister said.
"The end of the war 70 years ago was for Germany a relief from the Nazi regime, from violence," he said.
"This also led us to assuming obligations and bearing responsibility. I see it as an appeal for nothing similar to happen ever again in future," Steinmeier said.
The German minister also said that his current meeting with Lavrov was special, and thanked his Russian counterpart for the welcome reception. "Thank you very much for the reception. I also thank the citizens for welcoming me in this Hero City and the City of Heroes, this city which saw huge casualties, where soldiers fought to their death and many lost their lives fighting against the Nazi Germany," Steinmeier said.
The German foreign minister arrived in Volgograd earlier for talks with Lavrov. In Volgograd, the two countries' foreign ministers attended a wreath-laying ceremony at Mamayev Kurgan and visited a war memorial complex for soldiers in the village of Rossoshki.
