Serbian soldiers march on Red Square

Serbian soldiers march on Red Square

The former Soviet Union lost some 27 million soldiers and civilians during the course of the Second World War. Addressing today's ceremonies - not attended by a large number of western leaders over the Ukraine crisis - Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out to the "ignoring of the basic principles of international cooperation" in recent decades.

"We have witnessed attempts of organizing of a unipolar world. We can see how the force bloc-based thinking has been gaining power. That all is undermining the stable international development," Putin said, according to TASS, and added:

"Our common task should be offering equal-security system for all countries, which is adequate to modern threats, and which is based on regional, global, bloc-free basis. This way only we shall provide peace on the planet." The Sputnik website quoted the Kremlin as saying that 30 leaders of states, governments and international organizations - among them Serbian president Tomislav Nikolic - attended the parade in Moscow.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova also took part in the celebrations. More than 16,000 servicemen, almost 200 units of military equipment and some 140 helicopters and planes participated, as Russia "demonstrated a number of brand new weapons systems during the event, including tanks, armored personnel carriers, self-propelled guns and anti-tank missile systems."

"Friendship"

Presidents of Russia and Serbia Vladimir Putin and Tomislav Nikolic have confirmed the two countries' friendship and understanding in the talks in Moscow, and highlighted their wish to ensure a better life for all citizens through cooperation and joint efforts.

Nikolic met with Putin on Friday evening at a reception organized by the Russian president for the heads of state delegations attending the military parade held on the occasion of 70 years of the victory over fascism, reads a statement issued by the president's press office on Saturday.

"The friendship and understanding between Serbia and the Russian Federation are once against confirmed in the talks between the two presidents, as well as their wish to fight for a better life for all our citizens with the same ardor our ancestors had when they were fighting for freedom that our peoples enjoy today," said the statement.