Statement on the Anniversary of Victory at Stalingrad

As delivered by Ambassador Ian Kelly to the Permanent Council
Vienna, Austria, 7 February 2013

Thank you, Mr. Chairman:

I wish to join with my Russian and Norwegian colleagues in noting that the Battle of Stalingrad was indeed an extraordinary event, with an extraordinary sacrifice of many lives, and it was indeed a turning point in World War II.  I would also like to note that this was a time when the United States was allied with a number of countries around this table in meeting a common threat, and hope this kind of feeling can be carried into our discussions over the next few years in trying to meet the new threats of the 21st Century.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.