TALLINN, Estonia -- Estonian government ministers laid flowers at a disputed Soviet statue on Tuesday, the first time the Baltic state has paid tribute to the Red Army while commemorating the Allied victory in World War II.

The government was hoping the gesture would begin a process of reconciliation between ethnic Estonians and Russian-speakers, 10 days after Estonia was hit by riots over the decision to move the Bronze Soldier statue from downtown Tallinn to a cemetery outside the city center...

''For many, the end of World War II means the victory of freedom over tyranny, and for many it means one violent regime was replaced by another,'' Estonia's government, president and parliament said in a joint statement.

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