“Hundreds of thousands of Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians standing in the Baltic chain that stretched from Tallinn to Vilnius – it was visible to the whole world the hand and soul of the conquered nations reaching out to their country and freedom. Those who remember know what those three words meant – Freedom! Brīvība! Laisvė!” emphasized President Alar Karis in his speech at the former border crossing of Lilli/Ungurin, where he celebrated the 35th anniversary of the Baltic chain with Latvian head of state Edgars Rinkēvičs.
“Staying together like that made us three times stronger than we would have been otherwise. And our demand to tear up the Stalin-Hitler secret pact, the infamous MRP according to these foreign ministers, which took freedom from the Baltic states and several other partners of our fate, was heard three times louder,” said the Estonian head of state.
According to President Karis, the Baltic chain initiated by the People’s Fronts was a conceptual continuation of the Baltic appeal when 45 citizens of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania sent a memorandum to the UN Secretary General to declare the MRP invalid and restore the independence of the Baltic states.
“It was the voice of our conscience. In the summer of 1979, this desire seemed to many in the distance, but ten years later we saw the outlines of restoring our independence already on the horizon,” he added.
“The Baltic chain is a testimony of how subjugated peoples can tear off their chains if they have courage, determination, faith, hope and to notice and take advantage of the window of opportunity,” said President Karis.
Restoring one’s country, consolidating democracy and freedom, escaping geopolitically from no man’s land – all this, according to President Karis, is the experience of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which needs to be shared.
The head of state recalled his family’s memories of the Baltic chain. “Our family – Sirje, myself and two sons – stood somewhere between Nuia and Lilli in the Baltic chain, because before there were so many people that we couldn’t fit in there anymore. I remember the proud feeling that something big was happening and we were here too. You can experience something like this very rarely, maybe only once in your life,” said President Karis.
“And I still remember those three words… Freedom! Brīvība! Laziness!” he added.
2024-08-23 10:46:39
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