Streets were closed for a short time yesterday for a visit from the presidents and foreign ministers of the Baltic states, reports Vísir. Police officers on motorcycles were spotted around the capital area, accompanied by buses and other cars for the foreign dignitaries.
Egils Levits, President of Latvia, and Andra Levite, his wife; Gitanas Nausėda, President of Lithuania and Diana Nausėdienė, his wife; and Alar Karis, President of Estonia, and Sirje Karis, his wife, arrived in the country today.
They were accompanied by Edgars Rinkēvičs, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia; Urmas Reinsalu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia; and Gabrielius Landsbergis, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania. The mayors of Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius are also present in the country.
They are in Iceland to take part in a celebration program to mark the 31st anniversary of Iceland establishing political relations with the three countries. Iceland was the first country to recognize their independence on August 26, 1991, after the fall of the Soviet Union.
The celebrations began in the parliament building, where Birgir Ármannsson, the Speaker of the Alþingi, welcomed the heads of state and presented the history of the Alþingi to them. The president then invited them to Bessastaðir for a celebratory dinner.
Today there will be a festive gathering in Höfða, and a program will be held throughout the day.
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