Memory about Great Victory should live forever - Russia ambassador.

ATHENS, May 3 (Itar-Tass) -- The memory about the Great Victory, for
which millions of people gave their lives, should live forever, Russian
Ambassador in Greece Vladimir Chkhikvishvili said. He delivered a speech
at a festive evening in Athens on Sunday on the occasion of the 65th
anniversary of the Great Victory. The embassies of Russia, Ukraine,
Moldova, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan and the General Consulate of
Uzbekistan with the assistance of the Russian Center of Science and
Culture and the Center of Russian Language and Culture "Mir" organized the
evening for the veterans of the Great Patriotic War living in Greece.
"Today we are celebrating the day of the Great Victory. We shed much
blood for it. The peoples of the Soviet Union lost 27 million lives in
this struggle. We bow low with respect to those who gave their lives for
our freedom and independence," Chkhikvishvili pointed
"We would not have this holiday, but for the Victory of the Soviet
Union over fascism together with the anti-Hitler coalition. We are
grateful to the veterans that they presented this day to us and that we
can raise our children and grandchildren," Ukrainian Ambassador in Greece
Valery Tsibukh said.
"The memory about your feat will live for centuries, because we are
very proud of and honour all what you did. We are grateful to you that you
are in the ranks today," he told the veterans.
The war veterans living in Greece were presented with flowers and the
medals on the 65th anniversary of the Great Victory in the Great Patriotic
War. The winners of the all-Greek contest of compositions devoted to the
65th Victory anniversary among the Russian-speaking children in Greece
were also awarded. Specifically, the winners were awarded with a tourist
trip to Malta to participate in an international conference on the
occasion of the 65th Victory anniversary and a tour of Russia with the
visits in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
A concert for the war veterans highlighted the festive evening.

.China president to visit Moscow for Victory celebrations May 8-9.

BEIJING, May 3 (Itar-Tass) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao will visit
Russia on May 8-9 to attend the celebrations on the occasion of the 65th
anniversary of the Great Victory, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign
Ministry Jiang Yu said on Monday.
"At the invitation of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev his Chinese
counterpart Hu Jintao will attend the celebrations on the occasion of the
65th anniversary of the Great Victory in Moscow on May 8-9," the Chinese
diplomat said.
-0-baz