Baltic Way 30th Anniversary at NATO HQ
On 23 August, Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian delegations to NATO held a commemoration event at NATO HQ (Brussels, Belgium), celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Baltic Way. The event brought together Baltic delegations’ staff and their family members, as well as Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians serving in NATO International Staff and International Military Staff.
Participants of the event welcomed the everlasting and strong spirit of the Baltic Way unity, which manifests itself in the Baltic cooperation in NATO. Later, everybody gathered for a joint Baltic family photo.
Lithuanian Delegation to NATO also invited all Lithuanian colleagues and their families to a get-together at the Delegation premises. Participants shared their memories of the Baltic Way and discussed about the impact and heritage of this unique historical event.
On 23 August, 1989 approximately 2 million people in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia gathered in a peaceful demonstration and joined hands forming a 600 km human chain from Tallinn through Riga to Vilnius – the Baltic Way. The purpose of the initiative was to condemn the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact’s secret protocols and demand the restoration of the independence of the Baltic states. The Baltic Way was one of the most important steps towards the renewal of independence in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
