Estonia's ex-PM Laar becomes member of Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation council

27.10.2007

TALLINN, Oct 27, BNS - Mart Laar, a former prime minister of Estonia and chairman of the right-wing nationalist Pro Patria and Res Publica Union, has consented to become a member of the international advisory council of the Washington-based Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, the daily Eesti Paevaleht reports.

The memorial to commemorate millions of victims of communism unveiled on June 12 in Washington, D.C. is one of the foundation's major undertakings. It plans to open soon a virtual and later on also a real museum.

Laar was pleased to note that the investigation of the crimes of communism was gathering strength in Europe. "The Nazis were stamped out, after all, but the other criminal side continues flourishing," he told the paper.

"Nevertheless, reevaluation of World War II and the whole Cold War has begun," he said, adding that Estonia too was planning a more extensive undertaking.

The international advisory council of the foundation includes former presidents of the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland Vaclav Havel, Vytautas Landsbergis, Guntis Ulmanis and Lech Walesa and the Russian human rights advocate and dissident Yelena Bonner. The late President Lennart Meri was also a member of the council.

Tallinn newsroom, +372 610 8810, sise@bns.ee