Bill Clinton: “On July 6th, I will be coming to Riga. On that day, I will have the great honor of being the first American President to…”

“On July 6th, I will be coming to Riga. On that day, I will have the great honor of being the first American President to visit the Baltic nations. The honor will be even greater because now Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are free democracies once again. In recent years, the United States observed every June 14th as Baltic Freedom Day, a day that reminded all Americans of the courage and determination of the Baltic peoples in your struggle against Soviet occupation. The American people never recognized that occupation, and we rejoiced with you in August 1991, when your three countries were reborn as independent, sovereign states. We have worked with you to achieve the early and complete withdrawal of foreign troops from your soil. And we look forward to rejoicing with you again this year when the final soldier has departed. When I come to Riga, I will meet with President Ulmanis, President Meri, and President Brazauskas. Together we will discuss how America can work with the Baltic countries to help bolster your security and prosperity into the next century. One of the most important moments of my trip will come when I speak at an outdoor gathering in Riga to the people of all the Baltic countries. I invite all who can to come and join me for that historic occasion. I look forward to meeting the people of your countries in a few weeks. And until then, let me leave you with three wishes: Long live the Republic of Estonia! Long live the Republic of Latvia!…”