The U.S. Navy destroyer Lassen has docked at the Pacific Fleet's main base at Vladivostok an a friendly visit aimed at developing cultural relations between Russian and American sailors.
A series of social events for the ship's crew have been planned during the city's Victory Day celebrations on Thursday, including meetings with Russian sailors and a visit to a local pediatric clinic, Interfax reported.
The Far Eastern port was deemed to be an appropriate location for the celebration because of the role it played in World War II, said the U.S. consul-general in Vladivostok, Sylvia Reed Curran.
"Almost half of the goods provided under the Lend-Lease Program passed through Vladivostok, and there are monuments in the city to remind us of this cooperation," she said, according to Interfax.
The Lend-Lease Program, which was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1941, sanctioned the provision of equipment and services for countries fighting Germany.
"The sailors know that their visit falls on Victory Day, one of Russia's biggest holidays," Curran said.
"These visits are very important, because they remind us of the fact that during World War II our peoples and armies united against a common threat and achieved victory over the enemy," she added.
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