'A call for freedom and independence:' Baltic Way memorial unveiled in Paris
A commemorative plaque for the Baltic Way was unveiled in the center of Paris on Monday by the city's mayor and the prime ministers of Latvia and Estonia.
The Mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Grégoire, inaugurated the memorial on Île aux Cygnes, a small island on the river Seine.
The Estonian Embassy in France described it as a symbol of unity, freedom, and courage.
The memorial pays tribute to a mass demonstration on August 23, 1989, when two million people formed a human chain more than 670 kilometers long across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to protest the ongoing Soviet occupation.
The protest took place on the 50th anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, signed by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, which established spheres of influence for both powers across Eastern Europe.
"It was more than a human chain. It was a call for freedom and independence," said Kristen Michal, the prime minister of Estonia.
He also connected the protest to the situation in Ukraine.
"Its message is just as relevant today: no agreements about Ukraine without Ukraine. No decisions about our region without the countries of our region. The time of Molotov-Ribbentrop-style deals must be over," he added.
Grégoire said: "This symbol resonates more than ever as Ukraine fights for the same values."
The ceremony was also attended by Benjamin Haddad, France's minister delegate for Europe, Rasa Budbergytė, a Lithuanian MP, and Andris Kulbergs, the prime minister of Latvia.
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Editor: Helen Wright
