MOSCOW, June 11. /TASS/: Belgium is interested in development of contacts with Russia on issues of military history, Russian envoy to Brussels Alexander Tokovinin said Thursday.
"The War Heritage Institute expresses its interest in development of contacts on military issues with its Russian colleagues. Agreements on working contacts have been achieved with representatives of the Russian Historical Society, but, unfortunately, those contacts were postponed due to the coronavirus-related restrictions. But we hope that this dialogue will continue," the envoy said.
According to the diplomat, Belgium adheres to a balanced perception of the history of World War II. When Belgium celebrated the 75th anniversary of liberation from Nazism, "there was much talk about the decisive role the Soviet Union played in achieving this Victory, about how, without fighting on the Eastern Front, there would have been no liberation of Belgian cities."
"[Belgium] also remembered the Resistance movement, which is a very interesting page of the War. There were about 15 resistance movements in Belgium, with the Communist Party of Belgium and its Independence Front playing an important organizational role. As the moment of liberation came closer, the activity of the partisans increased," the envoy recalled.
"The Soviet servicemen, who escaped the Nazi camps in Belgium, after being brought there to work in the mines, played an important role in this activity."
Tokovinin recalled that the "For Homeland!" brigade, staffed entirely by Soviet servicemen, acted in Belgium.
Considerate attitude
The diplomat noted Belgium’s considerate attitude towards the memory of the Soviet people who participated in liberating this country.
"[The Belgians] take care of burial sites, and they collect new information. Representatives of the Belgian authorities take part in memorial ceremonies," he added.
According to the envoy, Belgian public organizations are actively engaged in this field. He furnished an installation of a memorial sign at the grave of Soviet serviceman Vladimir Talda, who died fighting against the Nazis, by the Belgian organization "Belgians Remember Them" as an example of such treatment.
"This memorial sign was given the status of a national monument of Belgium," he added.
Besides, the diplomat noted, a lot of outstanding stories in Belgium are connected to participation of the so-called white immigration from Russia in the resistance movement.
