Lavrov laments absence of Russian inscription on Samarkand monument (video)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who is currently in Uzbekistan, expressed dissatisfaction over the absence of a Russian-language inscription on the Mother monument in Samarkand. This was reported by "TASS".

During a wreath-laying ceremony at the monument dedicated to the memory of soldiers who died in World War II, Lavrov noted that the inscriptions were translated only into English. He raised the issue with his Uzbek counterpart, Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov.

“I see, the inscription here is also in English. So why is there no Russian?” Lavrov remarked, pointing to the phrase “You are always in our hearts, my dear” written beneath the monument.

As previously reported, Sergei Lavrov arrived in Uzbekistan on April 22. He was welcomed at Samarkand International Airport by Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov.

Lavrov’s visit, scheduled for April 22–23, includes meetings with President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and detailed bilateral talks with Minister Saidov. The visit was earlier announced by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.

For reference, Lavrov last visited Uzbekistan in April 2023 to attend a series of high-level meetings in Samarkand, including the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States, a regional gathering on Afghanistan, and a meeting between the foreign ministers of Central Asian countries and Russia.