Event, dedicated to the International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the prisoners of the Nazi camp Auschwitz
Belarusian State Museum of the Great Patriotic War
January 27, 2020
It is a great honor for me to be here on International Holocaust Remembrance Day. I am grateful to the initiative of Foreign Minister Makei and the Belarusian Foreign Ministry to hold this important event as we mark the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II and the liberation of Nazi concentration camps and other sites of persecution and murder.
The memory of the Holocaust has enduring lessons for us today, particularly in Belarus – the tenacity of the survivors and the legacy of those who perished. Furthermore, from the Bielski partisans to the over 1,000 Belarusian Righteous Among Nations – we cannot forget the bravery of those who risked their lives to protect and rescue their fellow human beings.
I regret to say that we are witnessing a global rise in contemporary anti-Semitism. In the past few years, there has been a disturbing trend of rising anti-Semitism in the United States and elsewhere around the world. Furthermore, we are seeing an erosion of Holocaust understanding, which is why it is so important that the Belarusian government hold events like this one today. At a time when many countries are forgetting or denying the past, Belarus is endeavoring to guarantee that no one forget and that it does not happen again.
The United States is also committed to reversing this disturbing trend. As President Trump has said “We must never ignore the vile poison of anti-Semitism, or those who spread its venomous creed. With one voice, we must confront this hatred anywhere and everywhere it occurs.”
There are many leaders around the world like President Trump and Foreign Minister Makei who are committed to the fight against anti-Semitism. I am inspired by their dedication and am convinced that through our collective and coordinated efforts, we can succeed if we are determined to remember those who suffered, and strive for a better future. For a world that remembers the Holocaust. A world without genocide.
