Baltics hail Bin Laden death

RIGA -- Senior politicians from all three Baltic States have hailed the death of Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, saying that the death marks a major blow against world terrorism.

Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan in the early hours of Monday morning in a raid conducted by the US military.

"We congratulate the United States on the successful operation. I would like to express hope that bin Laden's demise will serve as a serious and long-term contribution to the war on terrorism," Latvian Foreign Minister Girts Kristovskis said.

"It shows that even the most fearsome terrorists will receive punishment for their crimes against innocent people in many countries around the world, including the U.S.," he said.

Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet echoed the sentiments, saying the operation has been a "strong blow to international terrorism."

 "The events and reports are quite fresh but as a first reaction, I can certainly say that since Osama bin Laden has been a person of symbolic importance for the last decade or even longer, removing him has certainly dealt a very clear and strong blow to international terrorism," said Paet told ETV.

The European Union's current ambassador to Afghanistan, former Lithuanian foreign minister Vygaudas Usackas, meanwhile, said the death would "inspire confidence in the region."