STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT BARROSO ON THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BALTIC WAY HUMAN CHAIN
20 years ago, the 'Baltic Way' peaceful protest of 23 August 1989 brought together more than two million Europeans in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which at that time were still behind the Iron Curtain. President Barroso declared that “today, I would like to pay tribute to all of those who joined their hands 20 years ago in a non-violent manifestation of their will and solidarity”.
Statement by President José Manuel Barroso on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the "Baltic Way" human chain
20 years ago, the 'Baltic Way' peaceful protest of 23 August 1989 brought together more than two million Europeans in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which at that time were still behind the Iron Curtain. The 'Baltic Way' was one of the longest human chains in history, extending for 600 kilometres and across the borders of the three countries. It expressed the joint determination of the people of the Baltic nations to assert their identity and contribute peacefully to the changes in European history then emerging.
Today, I would like to pay tribute to all of those who joined their hands 20 years ago in a nonviolent manifestation of their will and solidarity. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have since returned to Europe and enriched it with their culture, history and economic potential. An important part of the European family, they can now rely on the solidarity of the European Union. The 'Baltic Way' will remain in our memories as a proof of the strength of the human spirit in its fight for freedom and democracy.
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