VRSIC: Russian President Vladimir Putin avoided any public mention of current tensions with the West as he paid a visit Saturday to EU and NATO member Slovenia, focusing on history not politics.
The main event of his trip was a ceremony at the Vrsic mountain pass in northern Slovenia marking the centenary of the killing of some 300 Russian prisoners of war by an avalanche in 1916.
Their surviving comrades, made to construct a mountain supply road by the Austro-Hungarian army during World War I, built a Russian chapel on the spot that still stands to this day.
After a speech in this chapel, which is dedicated to Saint Vladimir, Putin headed to Ljubljana's central cemetery to unveil a new monument to fallen Russian soldiers of both world wars.
"The monument will reflect our common principles that any attempt to change or re-write history, or to justify the crimes that caused millions of deaths, is unacceptable," Putin said in his speech.
"We will continue our efforts to educate and present history to people, in particular to the youth with the objective of not only remembering the sufferings and trouble caused by wars, but also to raise awareness about the need to strengthen reason, confidence and security in Europe and the world."
Putin's third visit to Slovenia since taking power in 2000 will also see him dine with President Borut Pahor at Brdo Castle, Yugoslav leader Tito's former retreat where the Russian leader met then US counterpart George W. Bush in 2001.
Security was ultra-tight on Saturday, necessitating the partial closure of a motorway between Slovenia and Austria and causing extra misery on one of the region's busiest traffic weekends of the year.
With Russia's relations with the West currently at a post-Cold War nadir, this was the 63-year-old strongman's third visit to a European Union country this year after trips to Greece and Finland.
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