CIS agreement to perpetuate memory of war veterans to enter into force 22 August

12:40, 15 August 2012

MINSK. August 15. KAZINFORM An agreement to perpetuate the memory of courage and heroism of the peoples of the CIS member states during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 will enter into force on 22 August 2012, informs the national legal web portal of the Republic of Belarus on 14 August.

The agreement defines such terms as "perpetuation of the memory", "military cemetery", "search activities" and others. The parties agreed to continue searching and burying the remains of servicemen with military honors. Parties to the agreement also agreed to protect military cemeteries and monuments.

The agreement is based on the generally accepted principles and provisions of the international humanitarian law. The document has been signed by Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and other CIS member states. Moldova acceded to the agreement with the declaration that reads: "Financial expenditures related to the present agreement will be regulated by the law of the Republic of Moldova". Ukraine signed the agreement making one reservation. It opted out of paragraph 1, article 14, which reads that coordination of activities regarding the implementation of the agreement rests with the CIS Council of Defense Ministers, BelTA reports.