Statement of the Latvian and Lithuanian delegations to the Baltic Assembly in support of Estonia [03 May 2007]

Latvian and Lithuanian delegations to the Baltic Assembly, 

condemning the destructive and violent activities that took place in Tallinn, capital of Estonia, on the night of 26 April 2007 and the forces responsible for that;

noting that the Bronze Soldier monument, which was located in the centre of Tallinn, has become the cause of increasing tensions in relations between Estonia and Russia and tension within Estonian society;

emphasising that Estonia's intention to relocate the Soviet memorial, which is regarded by the majority of Estonian society as the symbol of the former Soviet occupation, in no way casts doubt on Estonia as a member of the family of the democratic countries;

stressing that in a democratic country any social group which disagrees with the government's decisions has a right to express its opinion in a lawful manner without vandalism, which threatens human life and health, as well as damages and destroys property, and is incompatible with the forms of democratic protest;

are convinced that a decision to rebury the remains of soldiers buried by the Bronze Soldier monument is a prerogative of Estonia as a sovereign state and interference of other countries in Estonia's internal affairs is not admissible.

Riga, 3 May 2007