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Russian MPs to refer war memorial concerns to PACE

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Lawmakers will refer Russia's unease about the removal of a Soviet-era war memorial in Estonia and similar plans by other European states to PACE, the speaker of the lower house of parliament said Monday.
KONSTANTINOVO/MOSCOW, May 7 (RIA Novosti) - Lawmakers will refer Russia's unease about the removal of a Soviet-era war memorial in Estonia and similar plans by other European states to PACE, the speaker of the lower house of parliament said Monday.

"The re-assessment of the outcome of World War II is an issue we, members of the State Duma, will propose for discussions at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe," Boris Gryzlov said. "We will spare no effort to resist renewed attempts to revive the use of Nazi symbols and Nazi marches."

The statement came after Poland announced plans to introduce a law that could allow the removal of monuments dedicated to foreign powers as contradicting "national tradition and history," believed to be targeted against Soviet-era monuments.

A former Communist-bloc state and now EU and NATO member, Poland has blocked Russia-European Union talks on a critical partnership deal over a meat dispute with Moscow.

Speaking about Russia's role in liberating Europe from Nazi Germany, Gryzlov said many European states appeared to have "a short memory." 600,000 Soviet troops were killed fighting the Nazis in Poland alone.

The statement also echoes violent protests mainly among Russian speakers in Estonia and protracted pickets outside the Baltic state's embassy in Moscow over the removal of a Soviet-era statue to Red Army soldiers in late April. The move added to Moscow's repeated accusations against Estonia of discrimination against ethnic Russians and the policy of glorifying Nazi fighters.

The scandal strained already tense relations between Russia and Estonia, which are continuing to exchange rebukes ahead of a Russia-EU summit in May 17-18.

EU member Estonia denied last week former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder a meeting with Prime Minister Andrus Ansip over concessions from Estonia on plans to reroute a Russian-German gas pipeline on the Baltic Sea floor. Schroeder - a major shareholder in the Nord Stream project crucial for Russia which seeks to bypass transit countries - had criticized Tallinn's handling of the Soviet memorial issue.

Russia's embassy in Tallinn said Monday it would not attend a ceremony to commemorate victims in WWII May 8 despite invitations from authorities. Embassy officials said they would lay wreathes at tombs to Soviet troops across the country May 9, when Russia celebrates victory over Nazi Germany.

Government officials and foreign diplomats will lay flowers at the memorials Tuesday. The president and premier are not expected to participate in ceremonies, and no official speeches are expected, Estonia's Defense Ministry said.

European bodies and the United States sided with the Baltic state in the dispute with Russia last week, saying Estonia was within its rights to move the memorial and demanding Moscow end unrests near Estonian diplomatic missions.

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