Foreign Minister underlines importance of Baltic unity [23 Aug 2009]

On 23 August, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins attended the remembrance event devoted to the 20^th Anniversary of the Baltic Way in Naukseni municipality, at Ungurini border post on the Latvia-Estonia border. Also participating in the event were the Foreign Minister of Estonia, Urmas Paet, former activists of the Popular Front, the organisers of the Baltic Way campaign and the local authority representatives.

In his address to the participants, Mr Riekstins stressed the importance of the Baltic Way campaign in the process of dissolution of the Soviet empire. Foreign Minister also pointed out that, by working together, far reaching objectives can be achieved. "The years that have passed since the Baltic Way campaign demonstrate that Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are capable of working together, also in international organizations and in peace-keeping operations," noted Maris Riekstins.

As part of the event, a memorial sign to the Baltic Way was unveiled. The sign created by metal artist Andris Dukurs features contours of seven human figures holding hands.

The Baltic Way took place on 23 August 1989, when the nations of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia surprised the world by joining hands in a human chain, over 600 km long, thus demonstrating their strong determination to reestablish the independence of the Baltic states.  The demonstration was held fifty years after the signing of the Molotov Ribbentrop Pact. On 23 August 1939, Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov and German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop signed the treaty of non-aggression which affected the history of Europe and of the entire world over the years to come. The secret protocol to the treaty – the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact – envisaged the division of Eastern Europe between Germany and the USSR, placing the Baltic states under the Soviet sphere of influence.

(End of text)