GalleryThursday, 30 November 2000
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Sveiki, all!
We're trying to adjust to the mid-week
schedule!
In the news:
- Russia to pay allowances to WWII veterans in Baltics
- EU says Latvia catching up in accession race
- NATO: Visit to NATO by Ms. Vaira Vike-Freiberga
- EU to approve plans for east European farm funds
and regionally:
Many of you may have noticed that we often carry stories put out on
the new wires by ITAR-TASS, the (former) mouthpiece of the Soviet government.
While often - if not always! - slanted in their views, they are often the only
global news service reporting particular events in Latvia. We've received
feedback that we should be more assiduous to point out when
pro-Russia/anti-Latvia propaganda appears on the news wires. There are times
when it's so ludicrous that comment is mandated--but we expect that most of the
time, the reader will be able to tell the truth from Russian fiction.
Our only observation this week is that once again, Putin is undoing Yeltsin's
reforms (Boris had picked a Glinka tune for the Russian anthem)... the Soviet
anthem is coming back albeit with new words. So, is it coincidence or
symbolism? The words might sound different, but it's the same old tune!
This week's picture is a hint of Riga's restored German baroque
(Jugendstil) architecture. Some time next year, we hope to do a series on
Alberta Iela, on of the pre-eminent examples of this architecture. In the
meantime, we'll tempt you with a picture of some detail from just around the
corner, No. 4a, Strelnieku Iela.
Remember, mailer or not, Lat Chat
spontaneously appears every Sunday on AOL starting around 9:00/9:30pm Eastern
time, lasting until 11:00/11:30pm. AOL'ers can follow this link:
Town Square - Latvian chat. And
thanks to you participating on the Latvian message board as well:
Click
here: LATVIA (both on AOL only).
Ar visu labu,
P.S. We still haven't had a
chance to fix our mailing list on AOL 6.0, we apologize for any duplication or
omission.
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Copyright 2000 ITAR-TASS
MOSCOW, November 25 (Itar-Tass) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree on financial support for Russian citizens who are WWII veterans and live in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia now.
Under the decree, the WWII veterans and widows who have not married again will receive a one-time allowance in connection with the 55th anniversary of Victory.
The president also instructed the government to prepare proposals on such allowances for the WWII veterans and widows living in Latvia, Lithuania or Estonia, who are not Russian citizens.
Copyright 2000 Reuters Ltd.
BRUSSELS, Nov 27 (Reuters) — European Union officials on Monday praised Latvia's efforts to join the bloc and said it had largely managed to close the gap with frontrunner candidates.
"Latvia is very, very close to the countries which have already been negotiating (EU membership) for three years," Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen told reporters after talks with visiting Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga.
"Latvia is an excellent example, or proof that the principle of catchup works," Verheugen said.
"As far as preparations are concerned, Latvia's track record is extremely positive," he added.
Latvia began accession talks with the EU in February 2000, along with Slovakia, Malta, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Romania. Six other countries — Cyprus, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Slovenia — began talks in March 1998.
Last week, Verheugen identified Malta and Slovakia from the second group as examples of countries which had made good progress in closing the gap with the earlier candidates.
In its annual progress reports earlier this month, the European Commission praised Latvia for improving the treatment of its large Russian-speaking minority but called for more progress on integrating them into society.
It also urged Latvia to complete privatisations, but said the small Baltic state had made steady progress on implementing EU laws and standards, the so-called acquis communautaire.
Vike-Freiberga, who also met European Commission President Romano Prodi on Monday, said Latvia had to move faster in certain areas like judicial reform and agriculture.
She said Latvia, a former Soviet republic, hoped the EU would take key reform decisions at its summit in Nice, France, next month, paving the way for the next wave of enlargement.
"We see this as a historic turning point for the process of enlargement," Vike-Freiberga said.
The Commission says the EU aims to be ready to admit the first new candidates by the end of 2002, though officials say 2005 is a more realistic date for their accession.
NOV 28, 2000, M2 Communications — The President of Latvia, Ms. Vaira Vike-Freiberga, will visit NATO on Tuesday, 28 November 2000 to meet with the Secretary General, Lord Robertson.
Copyright 2000 Reuters Ltd.
BRUSSELS, Nov 28 (Reuters) — The European Commission is set to approve an EU aid framework designed to ease the eventual entry of east European countries by modernising their farm sectors, EU officials said on Tuesday.
The framework will cover 10 countries seeking EU membership.
They have been allocated 520 million euros ($445.6 million) a year in pre-accession aid to improve food processing, raise hygiene and veterinary standards and take rural development measures.
The Commission, at its weekly meeting on Wednesday, is likely to back clear rules on the distribution and management of the EU payments under the programme, known as SAPARD.
"The draft financing agreement should be approved," a senior EU official told journalists.
Applicants will have to bring the management of their payment agencies into line with Commission rules before projects can be chosen for funding.
This could take a few months, EU officials said.
The Commission has adopted a decentralised approach to administering the funds — giving countries themselves control over how the money is distributed and implemented — and see the process as a first test for eventual EU membership.
The 10 EU applicants are Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
Copyright 2000 The Associated Press
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV
Associated Press Writer
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia is likely to celebrate the New Year to the familiar tune of the old Soviet national anthem — albeit with new lyrics — which would replace the current state hymn, officials said Tuesday.
A Kremlin official, who asked not to be identified, said President Vladimir Putin wants parliament's lower house, or the State Duma, to quickly pass legislation restoring the old anthem.
Some lawmakers said support for the Soviet anthem was overwhelming and its quick passage was virtually guaranteed. Duma's First Deputy Speaker Lyubov Sliska praised the Soviet anthem as the best choice in a television interview Tuesday.
"You mustn't dub this anthem Stalinist," Sliska said, referring to late dictator Josef Stalin. "This name will belong to ancient history some day, and the music is really good."
Opinion polls show that many Russians dislike the country's post-Soviet anthem, which uses the music of the Patriotic Song by 19th-century composer Mikhail Glinka. No lyrics have been written to accompany Glinka's complex melody.
Sergei Mikhalkov, the elderly poet who wrote the original lyrics for the Soviet anthem, also produced the new version, which does not refer to communist ideals.
"Spreading its mighty wings over us, the Russian eagle is flying high," its refrain runs, according to the ORT television. "The Fatherland's symbol, a flag of three colors, is leading the peoples of Russia to victory."
Russia's communists, nostalgic for the Soviet days, have long tried to restore the music of the old, Soviet anthem. The proposals were blocked by former President Boris Yeltsin, who harshly opposed Soviet-era symbols. Putin reportedly backs the plan, but has refrained from commenting publicly.
But Putin, a 16-year veteran of the KGB, told Russian interviewers earlier this year that he "can be considered a successful product of a Soviet man's patriotic upbringing."
The former communist-dominated Duma staunchly refused to pass legislation approving Russia's new tricolor flag and the double-headed eagle that replaced the Soviet red flag with its hammer and sickle symbol. Finally, Yeltsin was forced to introduce new state symbols by a presidential decree.
The current Duma is controlled by pro-government factions and might be inclined to accept Putin's notion.
The Duma planned to take a break next week so lawmakers could visit their constituencies, but Putin on Monday asked lawmakers to stay in Moscow through Dec. 25. Though he did not specify the reason, parliamentary leaders decided Tuesday to heed Putin's request.
The lawmakers are expected both to restore the Soviet anthem and approve the post-Soviet flag and emblem before their winter break, the Kremlin official said.
Putin's advisory body, consisting of regional governors, had reviewed eight proposed anthems and suggested last week that the Duma choose between the current anthem and its Soviet-era predecessor.
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As mentioned, here's a little Juengenstil tidbit!
