London - Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip were due to leave on Monday for their first tour of the Baltic republics of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
The pair fly first to Vilnius in Lithuania, before travelling to Riga and ending the tour Friday in Tallinn. It is rare for the queen, a globetrotter who is now 80 years old, to visit a country
where she has never set foot.
The monarch will meet the presidents of the three former Soviet republics, according to the official website of the British monarchy.
During their two-day visit to Lithuania, the couple will stop at the Antakalnio Cemetery to lay a wreath and visit the Seimas, the parliament, and to meet lawmakers and signatories of the 1990
claration of Independence.
She will also make a speech before she and her consort "undertake a walkabout" in the Town Hall Square.
The queen will also meet students at Vilnius University while her husband tours the Vilnius University Botanical Garden to chat with young people taking part in The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme.
On Wednesday, the couple will travel to Latvia and attend the official welcoming ceremony at Riga Castle.
British and Latvian sailors.
The queen will also visit the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia to view a reconstruction of Gulag barracks and a Soviet deportation display, and listen to a performance from the Latvian Youth Choir.
She will then undertakes a short walkabout with the Latvian president.
On Thursday, the royal couple will arrive at the President's Palace in the Estonian capital of Tallinn for the official welcoming ceremony and exchange of gifts.
The queen will deliver a speech at the state banquet at the House of the Brotherhood of Blackheads.
On the last day, the couple will attend a service to commemorate the Royal Navy's role in Estonia's independence and attend a concert entitled "Estonia Sings" in the Town Hall Square.
The queen and her husband will visit HMS Liverpool warship as well as meet Estonian forces due to serve in Afghanistan.
This year marks the 15th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic ties between Britain and the three Baltic states, which were annexed by the Soviet Union at the end of World War 2 and
regained independence in 1991. They joined the European Union in 2004.
Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus, Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga and Estonian President Arnold Ruutel each met Queen Elizabeth during their respective official visits to Britain in July.
- Sapa-AFP
Reliance on the information this site contains is at your own risk.
for more information on IOL.
News RSS