Press releases

MINSK, 28 June (BelTA) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko will take part in a requiem rally to honor the memory of Nazism victims at the site of the former death camp Trostenets on 29 June, the press service of the Belarusian leader told BelTA.

Delegations from Germany and Austria led by the presidents Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Alexander Van der Bellen are expected to take part in the event. The Austrian ex-president Heinz Fischer will attend the requiem rally, too.

Many other foreign guests, including representatives of state and public organizations from Austria, Germany, Israel, Poland, and Czechia, will take part in the commemorative event, too. The number will include State Secretary, Chief of the Cabinet of the President of Poland Krzysztof Szczerski and Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech parliament Vojtech Filip. The World Jewish Congress will be represented by Deputy CEO for Diplomacy Maram Stern.

Trostenets is one of the largest death camps set up by the Nazi to eliminate civilians in 1941-1945. It is the fourth largest death camp after Auschwitz, Majdanek, and Treblinka in terms of the number of victims. Residents of Belarus, other USSR republics, deported citizens of Western European countries, including Austria, Germany, and Czechoslovakia, perished in this death camp. The official death toll exceeds over 200,000 people from various countries.

The Belarusian head of state is also expected to meet with the presidents of Austria and Germany. The leaders will discuss ways to immortalize the memory about Nazism victims. Bilateral cooperation and prospects of building multilateral cooperation in the region will be discussed as well.