The eyes of the world will be watching Moscow on 9 May. We will be carefully listening to the message that comes from there. This is a great responsibility for the hosts. We should expect this message to take account of the historical truth, in all of its complexity. In order to reflect this truth, it will suffice to say a few words; they will not by any means dampen either the greatness of the anniversary or the lofty celebratory atmosphere. The Polish presence should be an expression of the expectation for these words as well.
In the Warsaw daily Gazeta Wyborcza, the words of Poland's Prime Minister, Marek Belka, who believes that the Polish President, Aleksander Kwasniewski, should attend the ceremonies Moscow marking the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. Some further passages from Belka's article, in translation (from BBC Monitoring):
We are all asking ourselves the question of whether the president of the Polish Republic, Aleksander Kwasniewski, should or should not participate in the ceremonies in Moscow marking the 60th anniversary of victory over the Nazi Third Reich. I respond: three times yes! Yes -- out of consideration for the past, the present, and the future!(via Marius)
Why out of consideration for the past? Because elementary respect for historical truth demands that the highest-ranking representatives of independent Poland should not be missing from among the leaders of the democratic community of states. It was a historical injustice that 60 years ago representatives of the Polish state were not invited to take part in the victory parades organized in 1945 in London and
Moscow. This was a time when Poland's fate was determined by others. Today, finally, we are the masters of our country and we should ourselves right the wrongs done to us 60 years ago. From the first to the last day of WWII, we were participants in armed struggles. Today we have a moral obligation and we want, before all of Europe, to honor the memory of all those Poles who perished in the fight against Nazism on all the fronts of that war. They lost their own lives in order to spare the those of others.
Secondly, we should be present there out of consideration for the challenge of the present time. By being present in Moscow, we can demonstrate the new place and role we play in the region and on a global scale -- within NATO and in the realization of a common EU foreign and security policy.
Thirdly and lastly, we can and want to bear testimony, through the Polish head of state's presence in Moscow, that the division of Europe into spheres of influence that was symbolized by Yalta has ended once and for all. We are today building a new Europe based on common values. This is how we see the future.
See also in this blog: Lithuanian-American Statement
Threats and Warnings
Russia Must Explain
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