MOSCOW. Feb 13 (Interfax) - In interpreting the Soviet Union's involvement in the military conflict in Afghanistan in 1970s-1980s from the historical standpoint, it would be wrong to deny that this was an act of valor on the part of the Soviet military, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said.
"However one may try to interpret the events and the decision made by the political leadership 40 years ago, in analyzing the situation at that time, we cannot question one thing: the valor of our soldiers, officers, and civilian personnel when performing their military duty in Afghanistan," Volodin said at an exhibition devoted to the 30th anniversary of the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan in the Duma on Wednesday.
"You can't even imagine how important it is to make sure that the truth about our history and our historical memory are protected," he said.
"By implementing the decision made at the time, they defended our country's interests outside the homeland. Many of them sacrificed their lives, and we must do everything we can to immortalize that feat," Volodin said.
"You and we should do everything possible in order not only to preserve continuity, but also to rule out any other interpretations, because the soldiers and officers who performed their duty 30 years ago should not only feel but also understand that the state will never leave them one-on-one with their problems, no matter who comes and who goes," he said.
Helping veterans of the Afghan war and families who lost loved ones in that conflict is the duty of State Duma deputies, Volodin said.
On behalf of the Duma Council, Volodin delivered a letter of commendation to Boris Gromov, the former commander of the 40th Army in Afghanistan, as the founder and leader of the veterans' organization Combat Brotherhood.