To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the restoration of independence, the Foreign Ministry and Estonian Foreign Policy Institute will hold a conference on August 20 titled "August 20, 1991 - 20 Years On." In the evening, the Song Festival Grounds will turn into a huge concert arena for the "Song of Freedom" event.
At the conference, former government leaders and current foreign ministers of the Nordic countries, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Russia will focus on the lessons learned over the two decades since Estonia's legislature, the Supreme Soviet, declared reindependence, as well as on the challenges ahead.
Participants include former Finnish prime minister Esko Aho, former Polish deputy prime minister Leszek Balcerowicz, former Latvian prime minister Ivars Godmanis, former Icelandic foreign minister Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson, former Russian deputy prime minister Fyodor Shelov-Kovedyaev, Icelandic Foreign Minister Össur Skarphédinsson, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, Danish Foreign Minister Lene Espersen, Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, Latvian Foreign Minister Audronius Azubalis and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Girts Valdis Kristovskis.
Later that night, the Song Festival Grounds will play host to the "Song of Freedom," an event featuring local stars as well as performers from Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Russia, Ireland and Iceland. The list of performers includes Sinead O'Connor from Ireland, Mari Boine from Norway, Kimmo Pohjonen from Finland, Brainstorm from Latvia, Estonian-born US pop idol Kerli and many others.
The free concert will both celebrate the anniversary of the restoration of independence and serve as the kick-off event for Iceland Day on August 21, which will be proclaimed open at midnight by President of Iceland Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson.
Iceland Day, Estonia's homage to the small Nordic nation that was the first to recognize Republic of Estonia on August 22, 1991, will feature concerts, exhibits and other events introducing Iceland's culture throughout Tallinn.
Estonian Public Broadcasting
