YALTA. Feb 5 (Interfax) - Speaking on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Yalta Conference, held in February 1945, Russian State Duma Chairman Sergei Naryshkin has called on political leaders of the 21st century not to wait for new conflicts in order to reach a mutual understanding on key geopolitical issues.
"[At the 1945 Yalta Conference] the leaders of major states demonstrated their readiness for dialogue and their ability to hold this dialogue despite differences in their political views and the competition of their national tasks. They sought to reach an agreement on key issues and a compromise on other matters," Naryshkin said, opening an international conference in Yalta on Thursday.
"At that time, the nations managed to close the ranks and form an anti-Hitler coalition in order to stop the aggressor and guarantee a lasting peace," he said.
"Do the political leaders of the 21st century also need to wait for a common tragedy in order to recall the value of negotiations and the possibilities of diplomacy?" Naryshkin said.
"We have it in our power to safeguard peace on our planet, and we have to do it without waiting for new conflicts putting all of us on the verge of catastrophe," the Russian parliamentarian said.