The memory of the 'plague' of Nazism and Stalinism must not be erased - Rinkevics

RIGA - The memory of the occupation, violence, deportations and persecutions brought to the Baltic States by the regimes of both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union must not be erased, President of Latvia Edgars Rinkevics stressed.

Today, on the Day of the Defeat of Nazism and the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Second World War, we should thank all those who fought and defeated Nazism, the President said. "I call on you to remember and honour the many millions of victims whose lives and lives were wiped out to stop the plague of Nazism and Stalinism, both criminal regimes in the world. This is particularly important for the sake of future generations," Rinkevics said.

The end of the Second World War, with the surrender of Nazi Germany, meant for most Western countries the restoration of full freedom and democracy. But for Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and other Central and Eastern European countries, it was the beginning of a new tyranny. "Only under the jackboot of the Stalinist totalitarian empire of occupation, the Soviet Union. We were brought the occupation and lawlessness of the Stalinist regime for almost fifty years. We were wiped off the map of Europe," reminds the President of Latvia.

Rinkevics stresses that many European countries only fully regained and restored their national freedom in the last decade of the 20th century. However, the 21st century has not brought peace to Europe, because the Soviet Union's heir, Russia, does not value the freedom, independence, democracy and peace of other countries, Rinkevics said.

The President stresses that Russia is trying to rewrite its own history and the history of Europe by selectively revising history, manipulating the common European history, the common European memory and the values of democratic countries.

Rinkevics stressed that on the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, it is important, especially for the younger generation, to remember and to tell the story in order to prevent the revival of totalitarian ideologies in Europe and elsewhere in the world. "We must not allow Nazism, Communism to be justified and anti-Semitism to manifest itself in any of its forms," Rinkevics stressed.

On May 8, 1945, the Second World War ended and peace reigned in Europe. Unlike in Western Europe, where nations regained their independence, this was not the case in Latvia and the other Baltic states - occupation and violence continued. Latvia regained its independence only on May 4, 1990.