?Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid (2nd L) attends a wreath laying ceremony at the Memorial to the War of Independence in Tallinn, Estonia, Feb. 24, 2019. Celebrations were held here on Sunday to mark the 101st anniversary of the Estonian independence. Estonia officially declared its independence on Feb. 24, 1918. (Xinhua/Guo Chunju)
TALLINN, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Estonian celebrated its 101st independence day on Sunday with events including national flag hoisting, wreath laying, the parade of the Estonian Defense Forces and concerts.
At the national flag hoisting ceremony, Eiki Nestor, speaker of the Estonian parliament, said, "Estonia is a strong country if we believe in it."
At the wreath-laying ceremony at the Memorial to the War of Independence, Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas said, "The national defense of today depends on the willingness of Estonian citizens to contribute to maintaining our freedom and sovereignty."
"National defense begins from each individual citizen, because every Estonian has a part in maintaining and defending our country," he noted.
Delivering a speech at the parade ceremony at the Freedom Square, Martin Herem, the Commander of the Estonian Defense Forces, commended the contribution to the national defense by armed forces, conscripts, reservists, Estonian defense League and their families.
Escorted by Herem, Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid inspected the different element groups of the parade including Estonian Defense Forces, Internal Security Service, police and border guards, defense league members and military service from allied countries, among others.
Proclaimed as an independent and democratic republic on Feb. 24, 1918, Estonia was part of the Soviet Union and declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The Baltic country joined the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 2004.
