The President of Belarus and the Federal Chancellor of Austria opened the monument to the victims of Nazism "Mass of Names".

The Head of the Belarusian State, Alexander Lukashenko, and the Federal Chancellor of Austria, Sebastian Kurz, opened the monument to the victims of Nazism "Mass of Names" at the Trostenets memorial complex on March 28, according to a BELTA correspondent.

The high-ranking guest's visit was timed to coincide with the monument's opening. The "Mass of Names" is dedicated to the memory of over 10,000 Austrian citizens of Jewish origin who were killed in Trostenets in 1941-1942.

Alexander Lukashenko and Sebastian Kurz placed lit lamps at the "Gates of Memory" monument. After addressing the attendees, the President of Belarus and the Federal Chancellor of Austria laid flowers at the "Mass of Names" monument to the sounds of mournful music and observed a minute of silence in memory of the fallen.

"Belarus pays special attention to immortalising the memory of the victims of Nazi terror. The creation of a memorial of pan-European significance in Trostenets is the result of joint efforts by the Belarusian state, politicians, public figures, representatives of religious organisations, the leadership and residents of European cities, and, of course, the surviving witnesses of those times and relatives of the deceased," said Alexander Lukashenko.

According to him, the Belarusian side enthusiastically and readily supported the initiative of their Austrian friends, primarily the President and the Federal Chancellor, to erect a monument in memory of Austrian citizens who died in the Trostenets death camp.

"More than 10,000 Austrian citizens were exterminated here. Women and children, the elderly, young people. They were killed simply for their ethnic origin, for professing a religion alien to the executioners, for adhering to a different ideology," the President noted. "The 'Mass of Names' monument, which we are opening today, not only brings back the names of thousands of victims from oblivion. It symbolises the aspiration of new generations to know about the tragic fate of their ancestors and to preserve their memory."

This monument serves as a reminder of how far aggression, which overcomes common sense, immoderate political ambitions, unscientific and anti-human theories can lead, the Head of State emphasised.

"May this stone symbol be an eternal reminder that peace is indeed very fragile, and human life is priceless. It is our sacred duty to pass on the memory of this war to future generations, to warn future generations against repeating the fatal mistakes of the past, and to preserve peace on Earth," stated Alexander Lukashenko.

On behalf of the Belarusian people, he thanked the leadership of Austria and personally Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, and the delegation of that country, which arrived in Belarus to pay tribute and honour the memory of those who were innocently burned and killed here during the war. "This is a heroic act on your part, on the part of today's Austrian citizens. You have set an example for others on how to treat the victims of their people, because representatives of dozens of nations are buried here. But Austria turned out to be the first to come here with remembrance. That is the value," the President emphasised.

Members of the official delegation of the Austrian Republic, representatives of the Jewish community, and veterans also laid flowers and stones, a symbol of mourning for the Jewish people, at the foot of the monument. Special guests at the event were former prisoners and families of the deceased.

The programme of Sebastian Kurz's two-day visit to Belarus includes negotiations with the President of Belarus and a meeting with Prime Minister Sergei Rumas. Other events will also take place, including a commemorative concert-requiem.

News of Belarus (BELTA)