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23Jan15

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Polish reps apologize to Russia for incorrect interpretation of Auschwitz liberation

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Representatives of the Polish Cultural Center based in Russia's westernmost city Kaliningrad, have apologized to the Russian people for incorrect interpretation by the Polish foreign minister Grzegorz Schetyna of Russia's role in the liberation of Auschwitz. The Polish foreign minister earlier said in a statement that Auschwitz was liberated by Ukrainian soldiers.

"On my own behalf and on behalf of millions of my compatriots in Poland I apologize, above all, to the Russian people -- a multiple nation like it was 70 years ago when it liberated the Auschwitz concentration camp," head of the Polish Cultural Center Thomas Omanski said on an official website of the Polish Cultural Center.

"I want to apologize for words uttered either consciously (or possibly not), which were an insult to all the young people -- servicemen of the Red Army whose graves still remain in my native country," Omanski said.

"The Poles well remember the horror and violence brought by Nazism. Regrettably, nowadays, millions of the Polish people are mere observers of the activities of the government which are becoming increasingly strange in their home country where as result of deliberately adopted bills free election has been substituted by selected rotation. No one can ever deprive the Russian people of the feeling of pride for their endeavor in overthrowing Nazism," Omanski said.

"As a matter of fact, the people in Poland take into account the fact that the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp was liberated by the people of many nationalities," said Polish ambassador to Russia Katarzyna Pelczynska-Nalecz in connection with the careless statement, made by Polish Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetyna which was hoped to be unintentional.

[Source: Itar Tass, Kaliningrad, 23Jan15]

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This document has been published on 26Jan15 by the Equipo Nizkor and Derechos Human Rights. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.