News

A historic "Monday meeting" was held at Stockholm Norrmalm square on 15 August to commemorate the 20th anniversary of restoration of Lithuania‘s, Latvia‘s and Estonia‘s diplomatic relations with Sweden. Support of Swedish people for the Baltic States in their struggle for freedom was remembered during the gathering.

The 80th meeting was attended by Speaker of Lithuanian Seimas Irena Degutienė, Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius, Member of European Parliament Laima Andrikienė, Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee of the Seimas Emmanuel Zingeris as well as the heads of parliaments and governments, politicians of other Baltic States, participants of “Monday meetings”.

A.Kubilius noted, that “Monday meetings” through which Swedish society showed firm solidarity with the Baltic States‘ fights for freedom is a unique phenomenon in whole Northern Europe.

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt in his congratulation speech stated that meetings what started in March 1990 in Stockholm were to show support of Swedish people for Baltic States‘ struggle against the Soviet occupation.

“Sweden has a debt of honour to the people of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. We owe it to ourselves - and we owe it to the Baltic peoples - to remember the past, but also to build a common future,” F.Reinfeld said.

Swedish politicians and organizers of then meetings stressed close neighborly cooperation between Sweden and the three Baltic States as a good example for many countries in Europe.

Meetings were held at Stockholm Norrmalm square to support the fight of Lithuania and other Baltic States for freedom each Monday at noon from 19 March 1990 till 16 September 1991.

The meetings were attended by Swedish and Baltic States’ politicians, public figures, artists, emigrants and other activists. The meetings brought together thousands of Swedes and encouraged them to support the Baltic States.