Chinese President Xi Jinping (2nd L) confers a medal on a Belarusian World War Two (WWII) veteran at the Belarusian State Museum of the Great Patriotic War during a meeting with 15 Belarusian World War Two (WWII) veterans in the company of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (1st L) in Minsk, capital of Belarus, May 11, 2015. Xi arrived here Sunday for a three-day state visit to Belarus, the first by a Chinese head of state in 14 years. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)
MINSK, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping met here Monday with 15 Belarusian World War Two (WWII) veterans, calling for concerted international efforts to uphold the outcome of the war.
Xi, accompanied by his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, awarded each veteran a medal to recognize their contributions to the victory of the Great Patriotic War.
Eleven of the 15 Belarusian soldiers, aged from 88 to 95, fought shoulder to shoulder with the Chinese people against the Japanese invaders in Northeast China.
After the awarding ceremony, held at the Belarusian State Museum of the Great Patriotic War, Xi made a brief speech and extended sincere regards to the veterans on behalf of the Chinese government and people.
He said the Belarusian and Chinese people forged strong friendship during the war against fascists and militarists.
"We are ready to work with the Belarusian people and all other nations in the world to safeguard the outcome of WWII as well as fairness and justice in the world," the Chinese president said.
Hailing the brotherly bond between Belarus and China, Lukashenko said his country will firmly support China in holding commemorative activities to mark the 70th anniversary of the victory of both China's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
Prior to the meeting, the two presidents visited the museum, where a special exhibition was being held to mark the two countries' friendship forged in WWII.
Earlier in the morning, Xi laid a wreath at the Victory Monument in Minsk.
The Chinese president arrived here Sunday for a three-day state visit. Belarus is the last stop of Xi's three-nation tour, which has already taken him to Kazakhstan and Russia.
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China, Belarus sign currency swap agreement
BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- China's central bank on Monday said it had signed a currency swap agreement, valued at 7 billion yuan (1.15 billion U.S. dollars), with the Belarus central bank.
The three-year agreement can be extended subject to the agreement of both sides, the Chinese central bank said in a statement on its website. Full story
