国际英语新闻：Medvedev, Obama issue joint statement marking 65th Elbe Day anniversary

MOSCOW, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama on Sunday issued a joint statement marking the 65th anniversary of the meeting of the two countries' troops at the Elbe river in World War II.

"The atmosphere of mutual trust and shared commitment to victory, which accompanied the historic handshake at the Elbe river, is especially need today when Russia and the United States are building a partnership for the sake of a stable and prosperous world," said the joint statement, as quoted by the Russian presidential press service.

The two presidents said acting in the "spirit of the Elbe" on an equitable and constructive basis, the two powers "can successfully tackle any tasks facing our nations and effectively deal with the challenges of the new millennium."

They also said the troops' meeting in Elbe was a striking symbol of the brotherhood-in-arms during the wartime.

"We pay tribute to the courage of those who fought together to liberate Europe from fascism, whose heroic feat will remain in the grateful memory of mankind for ever," they added.

On April 25, 1945, Soviet and American troops met near the German city of Torgau on the Elbe river. Two weeks later, the German army announced its unconditional surrender.