On July 23, 2010 the prime ministers of Latvia (Valdis Dombrovskis), Estonia (Andrus Ansip) and Lithuania (Andrius Kubilius) sent a joint letter to President Barack Obama, expressing gratitude to the United States for its policy of non-recognition of the incorporation of the Baltic states into the Soviet Union. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Welles Declaration, whereby the United States publicly announced that it did not recognize the incorporation of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania into the Soviet Union. On July 23, 1940 Acting Secretary of State Sumner Welles declared that the United States condemns the actions of the Soviet Union in deliberately annihilating the independence of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The complete text of the letter: This summer marks 70 years since the three Baltic nations lost their cherished freedom and independence, which they managed to restore half a century later. That day would not have come without thie principled foreign policy of the United States of America. On July 23, 1940 the acting Secretary of State Sumner Welles began a long-lasting non-recognition policy of illegal Soviet occupation and annexation which enabled the diplomatic representations of the Baltic states to continue working and gave their people strength and hope to go on campaigning for their freedom. We, the Prime Ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to the American people for their courageous and highly moral action, and congratulate you, Mr. President, on this anniversay of the successful foreign policy that has made the United States of America a beacon of freedom for all oppressed nations and aspiring democracies. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has also issued a statement on this occasion.