Move the monument to Marshal of the Soviet Union Ivan Konev does not violate the Treaty on friendly relations and cooperation from 1993 with Russia, said the foreign Ministry of the Czech Republic.
The Department assured that the country “honors all victims of the soldiers of the red Army, which, except for the Russians fought, Ukrainians, Belarusians and representatives of other peoples of the former USSR”. The foreign Minister also acknowledged that the monument shall be subject to the agreement.
The foreign Ministry expects that “the monument will be treated with dignity”, reports RIA “Novosti”.
The Czech Republic considered inadmissible “interference” with Russian authorities “in the internal Affairs of the Czech Republic”. If Russia continues “confrontational statements and actions,” the Czech Republic will decide that Moscow “had lost interest in the development of mutually beneficial relations,” the statement reads.
The Czech foreign Ministry recalls that in the Republic there are 4 thousand 224 military graves, gravestones and monument in respect of which, unlike the monument to Konev, the Agreement on mutual preservation of war graves from 1999. The Czech Republic has blamed Russia for the fact that on the Russian territory and not the updated war monuments to the fallen Czechoslovak legionaries.
The foreign Ministry advised Moscow to negotiate “getting the monument to Marshal Konev” with “owner” and not by the Ministry.
“Local self-government in the Czech Republic is an integral part of the constitutional structure of our state,” said Mead, adding that “the pursuit of democratically elected representatives of the foreign state in the exercise of their mandates from the point of view of the Czech Republic unacceptable.”
The Ministry stressed that “the Russian relevant legislation – also used retroactively – not in relation to the Czech Republic in any way implementable.”
On 3 April with a crane and ropes in Prague was demolished the monument to Ivan Konev.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu wrote a letter to the defense Minister of the Czech Republic Lubomir Mataro, which was asked to convey to Moscow the demolished monument. The Ministry of defence of the Czech Republic said that “can’t pass something” than not owns – the monument “is the property” of the district Prague 6.
On Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin signed a law on criminal responsibility for destruction or damage of monuments of the defenders of the Fatherland in Russia and abroad. SK Russia opened a criminal case in connection with the demolition of the monument.
