November 17-18, 2017 in the capital of the Russian Federation in Moscow a number of events aimed at interaction with veterans’ organizations of the CIS took place. The events are organized by the Committee on the Affairs of CIS International Warriors, the International Union of Public Associations “Public Committee of War Veterans”, LLC “Veterans of Combat Operations of Russia” and united the interests of 26 member countries.
The events began with the laying of wreaths at the monument of the Internationalist Warrior in Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill. Participants paid tribute to the deceased, honored them with a minute of silence.
On November 17, a meeting of the Coordinating Council of the Committee on Soldiers-Internationalists Affairs was held at the Council of CIS Heads of Government, during which the participants considered issues related to the work of the Committee on the Affairs of Internationalist Soldiers for the implementation of tasks in 2017 and interaction with veterans’ organizations of the CIS, on the main directions of further development of medical and social assistance and improving the quality of life of veterans of war-participants in local conflicts and members of their families in the state Commonwealth members for the period up to 2020 and funding the Program in 2019, as well as the status of the search for missing persons during the fighting in Afghanistan and the continuation of the search for burial places of the deceased servicemen. One of the important directions at the meeting was the theme of military-patriotic education of youth.
Ilimdar Ilyasov, general director of the “Turon Patriot”, acting in Uzbekistan, heard a special interest at the meeting. Guests and participants from the CIS, Brazil and Europe asked him to tell more about the experience of the VETERAN Association of Warriors-veterans and invalids in Uzbekistan. Representatives of Belgium invited Uzbeks to their country for exchange of experience. Taking into account the great potential of military-patriotic work in Uzbekistan, Oleg Bakanach, the Chairman of the International Youth Educational Collection of Military-Sports Organizations “SOYUZ”, proposed to hold a youth educational gathering of military sports organizations and cadet corps UNION- 2018 in Uzbekistan.
On November 18, 2017, the 4th International Meeting of Soldiers-Internationalists, War Veterans and Military Conflicts of the CIS, the Baltic States, near and far abroad was held. At the opening in the opening speech, the Chairman of the International Union of Public Associations of the Public Committee of the Veterans of Wars, A. Kovalev, said about the significance of holding the Fourth Meeting. The agenda included such important issues as social protection of internationalist soldiers in the post-Soviet space and measures for its further improvement, improving the quality of life of veterans of wars in the CIS countries and public diplomacy as the main goals of the Public Union of Public Associations “Public Committee of War Veterans” in 2017-2018 the grants of the President of the Russian Federation.
According to Alexander Shirin, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Defense and Security Council of the Federation, public organizations “Combat Brotherhood”, the Russian Union of Veterans, the Russian Fund for the Disabled War in Afghanistan and the Committee on the Affairs of Internationalist Warriors in the CIS, as a total of 250 million ($ 4.5 million), of which 10 million rubles ($ 150,000) to the Committee.
During the International Meeting, 5 veterans of the CIS hostilities were awarded with the orders of Brazil.
Representatives of the “Memory of Generations” Foundation, led by the legendary cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, handed over advanced electric weight cars weighing 28 kg, worth 380,000 rubles, and 5 disabled amputees of participants in the CIS combat actions received them.
At the end of the meeting, the addresses of the participants of the 4th International Meeting of Internationalist Soldiers to the Heads of State and Government of the CIS, Baltic States, near and far abroad were received. The meeting was attended by representatives of 26 foreign countries, including Uzbekistan. Recall, the Chairman of the VETERAN Association of Warriors veterans and invalids in Uzbekistan is a member of the Coordination Council of the Committee.
As part of the events for the guests and participants, the 10th Moscow International Soldier Song Festival “Soldiers of Russia” was held.
These events for veterans-internationalists are an opportunity to exchange experience in solving social problems of veterans-internationalists of the post-Soviet space, to fully promote the improvement of their quality of life. The next meeting served as a new impetus for improving the work of CIS organizations, as well as in the territory of near and far abroad.