Victory Celebrations Should Correspond to
Russia’s Contribution

ORYOL (RIA Novosti) — Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War should correspond to Russia’s, or the Soviet Union’s, crucial contribution to the Victory.

"We should discuss in detail the situation at the concluding stage of the celebration arrangements. Slightly over a month is left until May 9, and we should resolve positively a series of urgent issues, and set the tone, in the remaining time, corresponding to the decisive role our country played in the WWII victory," the president said at a session of the Russian Pobeda organization committee.

"With this in mind, we should address the preparations for the jubilee celebrations," stressed Putin.

He added that he organization committee was meeting in Oryol for a reason. "This is where a particular landmark of the war was," said Putin. He continued that the victory in the Kursk-Oryol battle "did not let the enemy to take revenge for its serious defeat outside Moscow and Stalingrad."

This year, Russia has allocated $5.5 million for Russian and Soviet burials abroad, said Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov. In August, monthly payments to war veterans and people of an equal status will be indexed, added Zhukov.

He recalled that monthly payments to war veterans and other people of the same status began on January 1, 2005.

To this end, the government has transferred 30 billion rubles ($1=27.82 rubles) to the Pension Fund, said the vice premier.

He also said that over 50 billion rubles had been allocated for medicines, tour packages to resort and health centers, and free two-way transportation of the veterans.

Besides, 9.5 billion rubles are allocated to cover their free trips to resort and health centers, and also 5.9 billion rubles for using the local transport.