Start Date: Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Last Modified: Monday, May 4, 2020
End Date: Friday, December 31, 9999
View Video SECRETARY RICE: I'd like to welcome the foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the Baltic States. They are here to celebrate 75 years of -- it has been 85 years -- (laughter) -- 85 years of unbroken relations between the United States and the Baltic States. The United States stood by the Baltic people even when the days seemed very dark. I remember very well that one of the phrases that I used most often in my time in the National Security Council was the United States does not recognize the forcible incorporation of the Baltic States into the Soviet Union. It was on that date since then the long history of friendship that we were delighted and gratified to see that freedom maintained its (inaudible) in the Baltic States until they could be freed and the United States recognizing these states. And now Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are allies, allies in NATO, allies in the global partnership around the world, and most importantly, allies in the promotion of and support for democracy for people who have not yet attained it. And so thank you very much for being here. We're actually going to have a business meeting, so we have many issues to deal with. But we wanted to acknowledge this (inaudible) before going into our meeting. Thank you. QUESTION: Madame Secretary, do you support Mahmoud Abbas's move today to (inaudible) a state of emergency? SECRETARY RICE: President Abbas has exercised his lawful authority as the President of the Palestinian Authority, as the leader of the Palestinian people. I will remind you that he was elected in 2005 by a large margin. And we fully support him and his decision to try and end this crisis of the Palestinian people and to give them an opportunity for -- to return to peace and a better future. 2007/483
SECRETARY RICE: I'd like to welcome the foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the Baltic States. They are here to celebrate 75 years of -- it has been 85 years -- (laughter) -- 85 years of unbroken relations between the United States and the Baltic States. The United States stood by the Baltic people even when the days seemed very dark. I remember very well that one of the phrases that I used most often in my time in the National Security Council was the United States does not recognize the forcible incorporation of the Baltic States into the Soviet Union. It was on that date since then the long history of friendship that we were delighted and gratified to see that freedom maintained its (inaudible) in the Baltic States until they could be freed and the United States recognizing these states. And now Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are allies, allies in NATO, allies in the global partnership around the world, and most importantly, allies in the promotion of and support for democracy for people who have not yet attained it.
And so thank you very much for being here. We're actually going to have a business meeting, so we have many issues to deal with. But we wanted to acknowledge this (inaudible) before going into our meeting. Thank you.
QUESTION: Madame Secretary, do you support Mahmoud Abbas's move today to (inaudible) a state of emergency?
SECRETARY RICE: President Abbas has exercised his lawful authority as the President of the Palestinian Authority, as the leader of the Palestinian people. I will remind you that he was elected in 2005 by a large margin. And we fully support him and his decision to try and end this crisis of the Palestinian people and to give them an opportunity for -- to return to peace and a better future.
2007/483
Condoleeza Rice
06/14/07