Baltic Way commemorative plaque unveiling ceremony

On 13 July 2026, M. Benjamin Haddad, Minister Delegate for Europe, participated in the Baltic Way commemorative plaque unveiling ceremony on the Ile aux Cygnes, in Paris.

On 23 August 1989, the 50^th anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, nearly two million Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians made up the "Baltic Way" by forming a 600-kilometre human chain linking Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. It was a decisive moment in the restoration of Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian independence. The same day, an important demonstration of support for the Baltic States' independence took place on the Ile aux Cygnes, in Paris.

The Baltic Way commemorative plaque unveiling ceremony took place in the presence of Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, Lithuania's Deputy Speaker of the Seimas Rasa Budbergytė, and the Mayor of Paris.

The Minister Delegate held a meeting with the Baltic States' representatives and signalled the solidarity of France, which has never agreed to recognize the deprival of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania's sovereignty. Today, France is fully committed to the Baltic States' security, particularly through its military presence in Estonia and its regular participation in the NATO Air Policing mission aimed at guaranteeing the integrity of Baltic airspace and the sovereignty of the various States in the region.