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The President of the Republic at the Celebration of the 85th Anniversary of the Battle of Võnnu on 20 June 2004 at Cesis20.06.2004
Honourable Madam President,
Your Excellences,
Members of the Defence Forces,
Ladies and gentlemen!
Beautiful Latvian city of Cesis is well known to Estonians as Võnnu. This name is known even to boys who are only knee-high, as 85 years ago at Võnnu Estonia won its most significant military victory, which secured the independence of our state.
With today's joint parade we celebrate the victory achieved then as well as Estonian-Latvian brotherhood in arms for the sake of our independence. Common goals drew our nations together then as well as decades later when we were restoring the independence of our states. We were allies years ago and we are allies today, now already as member states of NATO.
We have every right to be content with years long manifold and successful cooperation in which alongside with Latvia and Estonia also Lithuania participates. Herewith I would like to distinguish the cooperation within the framework of the Baltic Battalion until the last autumn, on-going joint activities of the Baltic Naval Squadron - BALTRON and the air-surveillance network of the three Baltic States. Our soldiers stand side-by-side safeguarding democratic values and security while participating in peace operations in different regions of the world.
Our nations know the price of freedom as well as the pain of subjection and they understand the importance of having allies in strengthening security. In spite of being small our nations have to fulfil their own important role in enhancing the security for the whole mankind. Being the full-fledged members of NATO we have become equal partners in the Alliance that serves this goal.
All this would have been inconceivable without the victory fought 85 years ago at Võnnu. This victory was and will stay in the hearts of Estonians not only as the most important symbol of the Estonian War of Independence but also as a symbol of the fight for freedom in general. In order to worthily commemorate the heroes of those days we have to protect the same values they did - independence, democracy, humanity. I wish all of us unwearied willpower to do that!
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