David SASSOLI, EP President, pays an official visit to Estonia where he takes part in the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the restoration of Estonia’s independence; ceremony at the memorial stone to 20 August 1991; flower laying and tree planting ceremony.

EU - Estonia (T)

RATAS, Jüri (EE)

official visit

ceremony

Tallinn

KALJULAID, Kersti (EE)

SASSOLI, David Maria (S&D, IT, S&D, IT)

MŪRNIECE, Ināra (LV)

ČMILYTĖ-NIELSEN, Viktorija (LT)

Official visit by David SASSOLI, EP President, to Estonia: celebration of the 30th anniversary of the restoration of Estonia’s independence; ceremony at the memorial stone to 20 August 1991; flower laying and tree planting ceremony

Title: Official visit by David SASSOLI, EP President, to Estonia: celebration of the 30th anniversary of the restoration of Estonia&#8217;s independence; ceremony at the memorial stone to 20 August 1991; flower laying and tree planting ceremony

David SASSOLI, EP President participate in the Ceremony for the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the restoration of Estonia&rsquo;s independence (10 shots)

David SASSOLI, EP President participate in the flower laying and tree planting ceremony (6 shots)

Atmosphere from inside of the Estonian Parliament (8 shots)

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, Dear citizens of Estonia I am very happy to be here today. With you to celebrate in your Parliament, the heart of our democracies, this day: the anniversary of the restoration of the independence of your country.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, Thirty years ago you showed no fear but only thirst for freedom, for democracy. And I know that your path to freedom started much earlier, 100 years earlier, and it continued with small steps, with great acts of courage, through extraordinary people. Just as, with great momentum of freedom, your dream has endured through very hard years. The years of employment and deportations, oppression, lack of freedom. And those deportations, with the confiscation of property, deaths and life, lived in fear for those who managed to survive and return. All this left a deep wound in the soul of the whole region and of our entire European Union.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, It is very difficult to build democracy. You know it well for the experience you've been through. But it's also very easy to lose freedom if we don't take care of it, if we don't protect it. Today new threats are affecting our countries and your country. We need to say very clear words. Let's make it clear that everything that threatens your security is a threat to Europe and the European Union. All of this is a threat to European democracy. The security of the borders of Estonia and the countries, that I had the honor of visiting in recent days: Latvia, Lithuania, concerns the security of the European area and must be considered a priority.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, Celebrating Estonia's newfound democracy by recalling the sacrifice of those who have suffered for the freedom of this country, renewing the commitment of our institutions to be guardians of our values. Thank you.

Family photos outside the Estonian Parliament (1 shot)