Yesterday Volgograd hosted a meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia and Germany, Sergei Lavrov and Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The Deputy Chairman of the Economy Committee of the Volgograd region, the head of the Foreign Relations department, Alexander Saneyev, told Vestnik Kavkaza about some details of the meeting.
He noted that the venue of the Ministers is not a coincidence, as the city on the Volga River has a special place in the history of both countries. "This is the place where the decisive battles of the Great Patriotic War and the Second World War led to the turning point in the war. And today the German delegation voiced their feelings. They understand the severity of the damage that Nazism caused the Soviet Union and Russia, including to Stalingrad-Volgograd," Saneev said.
He identified three thematic parts of this visit. "The main points of the program were commemorative events. The delegations of Russia and Germany visited the memorial complex in Rossoshki, where they laid wreaths in the Soviet and German cemeteries. They then visited Mamayev Kurgan, where they also laid a wreath at the pantheon of glory. The practical part of the visit consisted of talks between Lavrov and Steinmeier. And the third part was cultural. The delegations visited a joint concert of Russian and German symphony orchestras of the city of Volgograd and Osnabruck," the Deputy Chairman said.
"I can say that Steinmeier likes the city. According to the Foreign Minister, it has sunk into his soul, and he's ready to come back," Saneyev said.
The Deputy Chairman of the regional committee on the economy said that the meeting only opens a series of visits to Volgograd. "A number of delegations will visit us during the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Victory: delegations from European countries, from China, from our twin city of Jilin Province, our neighbors from Kazakhstan," Alexander Saneyev summed up.
