Brussels, 22 june 2005 |
Statement by the President on the occasion of the 65th anniversary
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Sixty-five years ago, in June 1940, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia lost their independence following their forced occupation by the Soviet Union. For half a century, the citizens of those nations lost their fundamental human rights and endured terror and deportation. Today, our Institution commemorates those events. This is not the first time in the European Parliament that we have talked about this bitter period in history and of countries that are now Members of the EU, and neither is it the first time we have supported those fighting for democracy. In 1983, the European Parliament condemned the occupation of those previously independent States by the Soviet Union. In these difficult times for the EU we should remember that the accession of the Baltic States to the EU is helping to achieve the goals of freedom and prosperity for their citizens. That is why we should be proud that today, in our Institution, we are able to work together to build a united Europe in which we share common values. Let us also remember that constructing a better future for the whole of Europe, in which the human rights of minorities are respected, demands constant attention and vigilance. One must remember that peoples who forget their past run the risk of history repeating itself. |
