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Merkel honoured by invitation to Russian WWII victory celebrations
May 7, 2010, 14:45 GMT
Moscow - German Chancellor Angela Merkel has described her invitation to attend celebrations marking the end of World War II in Moscow this Sunday as a great honour, according to an interview with Russian media released on Friday.
It is not self-evident that a German head of government be allowed to participate in these events, she said.
The gesture shows that Russia and Germany have learned from history and now live in peace and friendship, Merkel added.
Gerhard Schroeder had been the first German chancellor to attend the traditional victory parade in the Red Square five years ago.
Merkel thanked the Allies for the sacrifices they made in the fight against Nazi Germany. The Soviet Union and its supporters freed Germany and ended World War II, she said. Germans would never forget the liberators, she added.
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