The Baltics run for unity

RIGA- In the week leading up to the 20th anniversary of the Baltic way, the three Baltic presidents are taking part in a 678 kilometer relay race in commemoration.

  On 22 and 23 August, 2009, the three Baltic countries will renew the historic Baltic Wayhuman chain in a 24-hour relay run, which will begin in Tallinn,Estonia, and Vilnius, Lithuania, and finish on the evening of 23 August at 20:00 in Riga,Latvia, at the country's symbol of independence 's the Freedom Monument.

      The 678 kilometre-long relay run will be divided into 1 km segments, and every Balt is invited to join the leading runners at a location of their choice.

      On August 22 and 23, we will stop what we are doing, we will go outside and we will join the "Heartbeats for the Baltics" relay run. We will run because of our respect for history.  Because of our commitment to tomorrow.  And because of how much we love our countries. Everyone is welcome. Everyone is needed. It does not matter whether it is ten kilometres or ten steps. The important thing is unity. And that is what we all need the most today.

      During the relay run, we will record the heartbeats of the participants, and this record will give proof that our sense of national identity is alive and thriving.  Each individual runner will add his or her heartbeat to the rhythm of the common Baltic pulse.

      20 years ago, on 23 August 1989, more than two million people in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined hands to form the unity way of the Baltic countries and demanded the restoration of independence and understood what it meant to stand 'shoulder to shoulder', 'to stand against' something and 'stand up for' something. Tens of thousands of people put aside what they were doing, left their homes and joined hands. That was the Baltic Way.

      20 years later, we invite you to remember the historic Baltic Way with pride and to recreate its route by participating in the Baltic Unity Run. August 22 and 23 will also be a living history lesson for those who were born after the Baltic Way or do not remember it because they were too young back then.

     The start: The relay will be launched on August 22 by Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Lithuanian President Dalia GrybauskaitÄ—.

     The finish line: The relay run will be concluded at 8:00 PM on August 23 at the FreedomMonument. Latvian President Valdis Zatlers will take part in the final leg of the relay run and the concluding ceremony.

     Registration: everyone can register to take part in the run at www.baltijascelam20.lv,www.baltijoskelias20.lt,www.baltikett20.ee, or www.balticway20.com.