News


June 1, 2003

Sveiki, all!

Our apologies for being remiss in sending out the mailer, things have bene hectic to say the least! This make-up issue contains all the major news items since the previous issue. We expect to get back to our weekly schedule in July. Our thanks for your patience!

For those of you in Latvia, we hope to see you at the Banuta concert on June 26th at the Riga Latvian Society (Rigas Laviesu Biedriba)!

In the news:

As always, AOL'ers, 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 in their AOL browser: Town Square - Latvian chat. And thanks to you participating on the Latvian message board as well: LATVIA (both on AOL only).

Ar visu labu,

SilvijaPeters

 

  News


EU Parliament endorses historic expansion to 10 new members
AP WorldStream Wednesday, April 09, 2003 11:42:00 AM
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press
By CONSTANT BRAND
Associated Press Writer

      BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) — In a vote hailed as a historic step in ending Europe's Cold War divisions, the European Parliament on Wednesday endorsed the entry of 10 mainly eastern European nations next year.
      In separate votes for each acceding nation, the 626-member EU assembly, meeting in Strasbourg, France, voted overwhelmingly to back the expansion scheduled for May 1, 2004.
      The entry of Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia, Malta and Cyprus still has to be approved by national legislatures in the 15 EU nations.
      The candidates are holding referendums to ratify membership, with Malta and Slovenia already voting in favor.
      The expansion will be the Union's fifth and largest expansion, since it was founded in 1957.
      "Finally after all the arguments and after all the debates, we get the defining moment," said European Parliament President Pat Cox. "The time for enlargement has come and the time is now," he added.
      In giving its 'yes' to expansion, the EU assembly added a warning that the existing club of 15 and the new members had to "commit" to building an "ever-closer union."
      Insisting that a 25-member EU "speak with a common voice in world politics," the assembly urged EU capitals to show "a stronger sense of solidarity" -- a reference to the gaping rift within Europe over Iraq.
      The European Parliament also urged newcomers to "fulfill commitments" and fix remaining problems, especially in fighting corruption, crime and in protecting minority rights.
      The EU's expansion will cost current members 40.4 billion euro (US$41 billion) in extra aid over three years to boost the new member's economies, notably by supporting farmers, building roads or replacing Soviet-era nuclear power plants.
      In Hungary, which holds a referendum on EU membership Saturday, the government welcomed the EU assembly's vote.
      "Now the decision is in our hands, this historic chance to rise with the developed side of Europe," Foreign Minister Laszlo Kovacs said in Budapest.
      On average, the parliament voted 515 in favor of the expansion with 25 mainly anti-EU legislators opposing, and 25 abstaining.
      The Czech Republic got the most 'no' votes, winning approval to join the EU in a 489-to-39 ballot, with 37 abstentions. Ten German conservatives voted against in protest over that country's refusal to repeal laws that expelled ethnic Germans from Czechoslovakia after World War II.
      Leaders from the 10 acceding states will sign their accession treaties in Athens, Greece, next Wednesday at a special EU summit.
      With the new members, the EU will surpass the North American Free Trade Agreement as the world's largest market, with 445 million people compared to NAFTA's 416 million.

Nazi-hunters mull European sweep as time runs out
Reuters North AmericaWednesday, April 09, 2003 2:11:00 PM
Copyright 2003 Reuters Ltd.

      RIGA, Latvia (Reuters) — The Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Center said Wednesday it was considering extending its drive to catch World War Two criminals to several countries across Europe in a final race against time.
      The Jerusalem-based group already pays $10,000 for information leading to successful legal action in "Operation Last Chance" in the three Baltic states.
      "We are considering Belarus, Ukraine, Germany, Austria," director Efraim Zuroff told Reuters at a campaign update in Riga. "But we are not 100 percent sure we will make it. The window of opportunity is only three to five years," he said, referring to a race against time as war crimes perpetrators and survivors grow old and die.
      Zuroff added he would like to see Russia included in the campaign. "Russia is totally unrepentant," Zuroff said.
      The campaign has sparked much criticism across the ex-Soviet Baltic countries, image-conscious in their drive towards mainstream Europe after breaking with Moscow in 1991. All three have won invitations to join the EU and NATO in 2004.
      Zuroff said: "In 12 years of independence not a single person has been brought to trial and something had to be done."
      Close to 95 percent of the pre-war Jewish population in the Baltics was killed after Nazi Germany invaded Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in 1941.
      Zuroff said the campaign had so far yielded more than 150 suspects in Lithuania and 37 in Latvia. He declined to say how many names he had on his list for Estonia before a news conference in Tallinn on Thursday.
      "I cannot imagine there would be more than 10 trials in total, but even three to four would be a tremendous achievement," he said.
      "Operation Last Chance" until now paid informants only in the event of a successful trial, but Zuroff said the rules would be eased so that anyone giving information leading to an investigation would get $1,000, then another $1,500 for an indictment and the final $7,500 in the event of a conviction.

In Latvia, lively jokes once grounds for arrest still live on
AP WorldStream Thursday, April 10, 2003 12:20:00 PM
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press
By J. MICHAEL LYONS
Associated Press Writer

      RIGA, Latvia (AP) — What has four legs and 40 teeth? A crocodile. What has four teeth and 40 legs? The Central Committee of the Communist Party.
      That joke drew laughs and applause among nearly 70 Latvians gathered amid poster-size portraits of Josef Stalin and grainy photographs of KGB death squads in Riga's Occupation Museum.
      Poking fun at elderly Soviet leaders could have landed a joke-teller in jail before this small Baltic Sea state of 2.4 million residents declared independence during the Soviet collapse in 1991.
      "In the old days, you only whispered these jokes among your most trusted friends and family," said Heinrihs Strods, host of Wednesday's first-ever Soviet joke night at the museum, which houses artifacts documenting 50 years of iron-fisted Soviet rule.
      Strods, the museum's research director, has so far uncovered 50 cases of Latvians being imprisoned for telling jokes.
      Latvians called them "Article 58" jokes after the line in the Soviet penal code mandating a sentence of five to 15 years in prison for insulting the regime or its leaders.
      "They were a form of spiritual resistance," Strods said.
      Some of the jokes were broadcast on Radio Liberty, the Cold War-era American short wave radio network available in the Russian language, Strods said. They were then retold quietly behind closed doors.
      One of the night's favorite targets was Leonid Brezhnev, the bushy browed Soviet leader from 1964 to 1982 who was famous for his public gaffes.
      "Upon hearing the Americans had put a man on the moon in 1969, Brezhnev summoned his cosmonauts," one elderly woman said quietly. "'Comrades,' he told them. 'You will be the first men on the sun.'
      "'But comrade Brezhnev, it's too hot on the sun — surely we will die,' they answered," she said. "'Don't worry,' Brezhnev replied. 'We have decided you will go at night.'"
      — — —
      On the Net:
      Museum: http://www.occupationmuseum.lv

Bush Sends NATO Expansion Papers to Senate
Reuters Online Service Friday, April 11, 2003 11:36:00 AM
Copyright 2003 Reuters Ltd.

      WASHINGTON (Reuters) — President Bush sent documents to the Senate on Friday for the U.S. ratification of NATO's expansion to include seven Eastern European nations.
      "The president is very pleased that the Senate will now be able to vote on expanding NATO to Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia," said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer.
      The seven formerly communist nations were invited to join NATO in May 2004 after invitations were extended to them late last year.
      The Senate must approve U.S. acceptance of new NATO members. No major problems were expected by the White House.
      "We take it for granted somewhat that this is a historical moment when the Senate does, indeed, ratify the expansion of NATO," Fleischer said.

Europe prepares for "kiss and make up" summit
Reuters Financial Report Sunday, April 13, 2003 6:23:00 PM
Copyright 2003 Reuters Ltd.
By Karolos Grohmann and Brian Williams

      ATHENS, April 13 (Reuters) — European leaders, joined by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, gather in the cradle of democracy this week for their first summit since the Iraq war.
      In what optimists describe as a "kiss and make up" meeting and others fear could be a rerun of European divisions on Iraq, leaders and representatives of 41 nations plan to celebrate the continent's future, not its past, on Wednesday and Thursday.
      Heads of all 15 EU members will watch 10 mostly former communist nations sign accession treaties to join the EU in 2004 at a ceremony at the foot of Athens' famed Acropolis, where the concepts of modern democracy were born in the 6th century B.C.
      Though the gathering will be heavy on symbolism, it will also mark the first time since Iraq was invaded that the main backer of the U.S.-led war, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, meets its leading opponent, French President Jacques Chirac.
      Theodoros Kouloumbis, head of the Hellenic Foundation for Defence and Foreign Policy, predicted it would start the healing of internal EU wounds.
      "This is a kiss and make up summit," he told Reuters.
      Some commentators, however, believe a chance for the start of reconciliation between Europe and the United States over Iraq was missed by not inviting U.S. President George W. Bush or some other top U.S. official to the gathering.
      "The only one missing from the Athens meeting to complete the puzzle on Iraq is President Bush," said Athens University professor of politics, Michalis Tsinisizelis.
      "I think EU members will grab this opportunity to reflect a new unity among them after such a turbulent time," he said.
      U.N. ROLE
      Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, said on Sunday the gathering would mark a "new page in Europe's history."
      "It is a larger Europe with bigger problems. The people of Europe and their leaders are called on to transform this reality," Simitis said in a statement.
      "Superpowers must not determine our fate, not today, nor tomorrow," he said in what appeared to be at least an indirect swipe at Washington's role in leading the war in Iraq.
      Annan cancelled visits to Britain, Germany, France and Russia to attend the Athens meeting, where he hopes to learn at first hand what role Europe wants the U.N. to play in Iraq.
      France, Germany and Russia want the United Nations to play a leading part in shaping a postwar Iraq. Blair has called for a substantial U.N. political role. But the Bush administration says the United States and its partners will be in charge.
      Bush has described the U.N. role as largely humanitarian and advisory rather than central to establishing a new government.
      "We won't be disappointed if it's only humanitarian, but we think it would be unwise, and we are waiting for our marching orders from the (U.N.) Security Council," U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said.
      Some 25,000 police will seal off central Athens for the meeting in Greece's biggest security operation.
      Tens of thousands of anti-war and anti-globalisation protesters, some from other countries, are expected to stage demonstrations during the summit.
      The 10 countries joining the EU in May 2004 are Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Cyprus and Malta.
      At that point the EU, with a total population of 450 million, will stretch from the Atlantic to the Baltic in the east and from Sweden's Arctic circle to Cyprus in the Mediterranean.
      Another 100 million people will join when Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey fulfil entry criteria.
      The three states will attend the summit along with 13 other non-EU nations, including Russia. Other guests include Annan and leaders of EU institutions like the European Commission.

Latvia gov't okays treaty of EU accession
AP WorldSources Online Monday, April 14, 2003 2:25:00 PM
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press
Copyright 2003 XINHUA

      RIGA, April 14 (Xinhua) — The Latvian government on Monday okayed a treaty of accession to the European Union (EU).
      Andris Kesteris, Latvia's chief negotiator with the EU, said the 5,800-page treaty was culmination of three-year-long difficult negotiations.
      Latvia is scheduled to hold a referendum on September 20 on the treaty. If the referendum says yes, the treaty would be handed to parliament for final ratification.
      Last December, the EU finished talks with 10 Eastern and Central European nations that sought to join the 15-member bloc. Heads of the current 15 EU members will on Tuesday witness the 10 nations sign accession treaties in Athens, Greece.
      The other nine nations are Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus and Malta.
      If everything goes well, Latvia and the other nine countries will formally become EU members in May 2004.

Putin: Being world leader means carrying "the fate of all civilizations"
AP WorldStream Tuesday, April 15, 2003 8:56:00 AM
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press
By MARA D. BELLABY
Associated Press Writer

      MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed in a letter to Latvian school students that to him, being a world leader means carrying the weight of civilization on his shoulders.
      "The behavior, choices and decisions of leaders in many respects determine the paths of a state's development, and that means -- the fate of all civilization," Putin wrote to students at Middle School No. 1 in Limbazi, Latvia, who had asked him for some insight into the role and traits of a modern leader.
      The students wrote Putin in January as part of an international educational contest entitled "Door to Diplomacy." The Kremlin released excerpts of Putin's response on Tuesday.
      Putin told the students that being a world leader is not for everyone. He said it requires a person who is knowledgeable not only about his or her own country but also about the world.
      A leader "must have patience to hear out other points of view ... and must in no instance rely on one's emotions," Putin wrote.
      Putin, a former KGB operative known for his steely demeanor, rose to power after the surprise resignation of Boris Yeltsin on New Year's Eve 1999. At first, he was seen as a leader who would try to reassert the Kremlin's Soviet-era place at the center of world affairs by resisting and undermining Western influence.
      But after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Putin reached out to Washington, redirecting Russia's foreign policy toward cooperation with the West.
      The close ties have been strained over the U.S. decision to invade Iraq without United Nations approval, a move the Kremlin strongly opposed.
      In a sharp warning that echoed the Kremlin's arguments against the war, Putin wrote to the students of the danger when "temptations to act from a position of strength rise up, ignoring the opinion of partners in the international community."
      "This cannot be allowed if we want to guard our civilization, which is based on unique and diverse cultures, traditions and faiths," Putin wrote.
      Putin also noted that while a country's economic and diplomatic potential give a leader more opportunities to guard its interests, "today it is impossible to ensure one's security by harming the interests of other nations."

EU admits new members in symbol-rich ceremony
Reuters World Report Wednesday, April 16, 2003 10:06:00 AM
Copyright 2003 Reuters Ltd.
By Gareth Jones

      ATHENS, April 16 (Reuters) — The European Union welcomed 10 new members to its ranks on Wednesday in a lavish signing ceremony rich in symbolism at the foot of the Acropolis, ancient cradle of Western democracy.
      Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis warmly greeted leaders from the mostly ex-communist candidates to the Stoa of Attalos, a long two-storey colonnaded building dating back to 150 BC, which is the venue for the 135-minute ceremony.
      "This is a historic day. This is an achievement which creates new obligations on us to look to the future with optimism and creativity," Simitis told the assembled leaders of the 15 current members and of the candidate states.
      The EU is especially keen to look to the future after the war in Iraq exposed deep divisions in the wealthy bloc.
      Many candidate countries backed the decision of the United States and Britain to oust Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein by military force, while EU core members France and Germany fiercely opposed the war.
      "At this ancient agora (marketplace) 2,500 years ago, people of different cultures and nationalities met for debates. It is here that we can realise that history has no end. This is a continuity of history," said Simitis.
      Simitis and Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou, whose country currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, were the first to sign the accession treaty.
      The leaders of the other 14 EU states and the 10 acceding countries then took the podium in turn to make a three-minute speech before also signing the treaty. In ancient times, Athenian politicians were allowed six minutes for each speech.
      EUROPE AT PEACE
      "Just like the Berlin Wall (in 1989) today is a reason for shared joy -- joy that we are creating a really united and peaceful Europe that has excellent economic and political perspectives," said German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.
      Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen also evoked key dates from the period when Europe was divided into two ideologically hostile camps, including Hungary's 1956 revolt and Czechoslovakia's 1968 struggle against Soviet domination.
      "Our new Europe was made possible by the will of people of Central and Eastern Europe, brave individuals who stood up against oppression and fought for their freedoms and democratic rights," said Rasmussen, who presided last December over a summit which allowed enlargement talks to be concluded.
      British Prime Minister Tony Blair, staunchest ally of U.S. President George W. Bush in the Iraq war, referred briefly to the discord that the war triggered within Europe, but stressed the common EU values of democracy, freedom and the rule of law.
      "Those are the values that unite the EU, whatever differences there may be within the Union," said Blair.
      Few locations could have been more appropriate for the symbolic event than the Stoa of Attalos at the foot of the Acropolis hill crowned by its landmark Parthenon temple.
      Nestled among olive and almond trees in a serene corner of the bustling Greek capital, the Stoa of Attalos has been at the heart of Athenian political and social life for centuries.
      The marketplace or agora around the arcade hosted lively political debates even before Athens's golden age in the fifth century BC was ushered in by democratic reforms by top Athens statesman Pericles.
      While similarities with modern democracies are few, the Athenian democracy, which translates from the Greek as rule or power of the people, gave the city-state's free male citizens the right to vote and participate in assemblies and councils.
      Slaves, foreigners and women were barred.
      The arcade is only a stone's throw away from where Socrates, regarded as the father of Western philosophy, taught in Pericles's times.
      The 10 acceding countries are Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia. They will formally join the EU on May 1, 2004.
      The leaders of Bulgaria and Romania, which hope to join the EU in 2007, were also present. Participants also included the leaders of would-be EU candidates such as Croatia and Serbia.
      But Turkish leaders stayed away from the ceremony, possibly to mark Ankara's displeasure that Cyprus has been allowed to join the EU despite the absence of a peace settlement between its feuding Greek and Turkish Cypriot halves.
      The internationally recognised Greek Cypriot government conducted the EU accession talks on behalf of the whole island.

Text of declaration issued by leaders of EU and 10 joining members
AP WorldStream Wednesday, April 16, 2003 10:22:00 AM
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press
By The Associated Press

      Here is the text of declaration issued by the 15 European Union leaders and those of 10 nations joining the EU at a ceremony in Athens at which the newcomers signed their accession treaties:
      "We the representatives of the citizens and states of the European Union meet today on this symbolic site, under the Acropolis, to celebrate an historic event: the signing of the Accession Treaty for Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia.
      "Our achievement is unique. This union represents our common determination to put an end to centuries of conflict and to transcend former divisions on our continent. This union represents our will to embark on a new future, a new future based on cooperation, respect for diversity and mutual understanding.
      "Our union represents a collective project: a project to share our future as a community of values.
      "We are proud to be part of a union founded on the principles of freedom, democracy and the rule of law. A union committed to furthering the respect for human dignity, liberty and human rights. A union devoted to the practice of tolerance and solidarity.
      "The essential value of this project lies in the ability of the union to empower both its citizens and its member states. By working together we and our countries can hope to confront the challenges of tomorrow.
      "On the threshold of this enlargement, we confirm that the European Union should focus on those tasks that are crucial to the well-being, security and prosperity of its citizens.
      "We will continue to uphold and defend fundamental human rights, both inside and outside the European Union, including the fight against all types of discrimination on the basis of gender, race, ethnic origin, religion or convictions, disability, age or sexual orientation.
      "We shall act together to foster sustainable development locally and globally, to combat environmental degradation, and to guarantee a better quality of life for future generations.
      "We underline our commitment to a dynamic and knowledge-based European economy, open to all, focused on sustainable growth and full employment, but also on social inclusion and economic cohesion.
      "We shall make the union a genuine area of freedom, security and justice, and shall continue to uphold each of these core values.
      "We shall respect the dignity and the rights of third country nationals living and working in the EU. The values we cherish are not reserved for our own nationals but apply to all those who embrace the laws of our lands.
      "On this historic day, as we celebrate the enlargement of our union, we reaffirm the commitment we made in Copenhagen (in December, 2002) to "One Europe," our collective desire to see it continue to develop into an inclusive union.
      "Accession is a new contract between our citizens and not merely a treaty between states. As citizens of this new enlarged union we proclaim our commitment to the citizens of the candidate countries. We are also committed to developing ever deeper ties and bridges of cooperation with our neighbors and to share the future of this community of values with others beyond our shores.
      "We believe the union has an essential role to play in the world. We shall work for a more open and equitable global economy and a truly shared global information society, to the benefit of all, especially people in less favored parts of the world. To this end, we will promote relentlessly the dialogue among civilizations and contribute uncompromisingly to strengthening the institutions of global governance and expanding the reach of international law.
      "We are committed to facing up to our global responsibilities. We will support conflict prevention, promote justice, help secure peace and defend global stability. We are determined to work at all levels to tackle global terrorism and stem the weapons of mass destruction. To these ends, the union will continue to enhance its civilian and military capabilities to enhance stability beyond its borders and further its humanitarian goals. The union pledges its support to the United Nations and its efforts to ensure international legitimacy and global responsibility.
      "Our collective project, our European Union, is a dynamic one. Constant renewal, while learning from our rich traditions and history, is our very nature. We look forward to the proposals of the Convention on the future of Europe and to further reassessments of both the structures and the membership of the union. Our future Europe belongs to all its citizens, without exceptions or exclusions.
      "We pledge our commitment to defending the fundamental freedoms upon which democracy depends. The democratic ideal must be the rock on which our community of values flourishes, not just for the citizens of today, but for our children and their children. Only through the active participation of its citizens and civic organizations will the union continue to grow in strength and legitimacy. Reaffirming our commitment to democracy as the fundamental value underpinning the union, we recognize it also constitutes the fundamental challenge confronting us today.
      "Our Europe is a Europe for all."

YUKOS plus Sibneft — booming output, big reserves
Reuters World Report Tuesday, April 22, 2003 5:04:00 AM
Copyright 2003 Reuters Ltd.

      MOSCOW, April 22 (Reuters) — Following are the main facts on oil output, reserves and refining of Russian oil firms YUKOS and Sibneft, which said on Tuesday they will merge to create the world's fourth biggest oil producing company.
      OIL RESERVES — YUKOS controls reserves of 12.5 billion barrels of oil by international standards while Sibneft has 8.2 billion barrels of crude oil reserves, excluding the substantial reserves of recently-acquired oil firm Slavneft.
      OIL OUTPUT — YUKOS and Sibneft are the fastest growing oil companies in Russia and currently produce 1.6 million bpd and 600,000 bpd respectively.
      The combined output of 2.3 million bpd represents one quarter of Russia's total output, and is equal to the entire oil production of OPEC member Kuwait. The combined group will be of similar size to the world's fourth and fifth largest oil firms, ChevronTexaco and TotalFinaElf.
      Analysts believe the combined firm could soon climb to the world number three position given YUKOS's and Sibneft's strategy of maintaining double-digit production growth at least until 2005.
      PRODUCTION COSTS — The two firms are already among the world's leaders in terms of production costs. It cost YUKOS $1.67 to produce one barrel of crude in 2002 and Sibneft $1.75, half the amount at ExxonMobil or Royal Dutch/Shell.
      OIL REFINING — The two firms control or operate a total of 10 refineries in Russia, Belarus and Lithuania with refining capacity of above 2.0 million bpd and a network of 2,000 filling stations.
      MARKET CAPITALISATION — YUKOS and Sibneft are already among the most valued stocks on the Russian market compared with their peers. YUKOS's market capitalisation stands at $24.7 billion, while Sibneft's is about $11.2 billion.
      YUKOS's free float is around 25 percent of the firm's charter capital, while Sibneft's free float is around 13 percent.
      The new combined company will account for about 30 percent of the market capitalisation of the Russian stock exchange.
      Neither YUKOS nor Sibneft is listed on any stock exchange outside Russia. YUKOS has said it is considering a listing on the New York Stock Exchange.

Lithuania's Paksas rules out EU flop
Reuters World Report Wednesday, April 30, 2003 6:59:00 AM
Copyright 2003 Reuters Ltd.
By Bryan Bradley

      VILNIUS, April 30 (Reuters) — Lithuanian President Rolandas Paksas said on Wednesday he saw no chance of failure at the ex-Soviet Baltic state's May referendum on joining the European Union.
      "I firmly believe that will not happen, and I reject even the possibility," Paksas told Reuters in an interview.
      The president cited survey results showing that over two thirds of Lithuanian residents support accession to the wealthy bloc, and dismissed talk that voter turnout might fall short of the legally required 50 percent.
      Lithuania is one of 10 mostly ex-communist countries which signed the EU Accession Treaty this month and is set to join the 15-nation European Union in May 2004.
      Most are holding referendums seeking a popular mandate for membership.
      Analysts say the turnout in Lithuania's May 10-11 vote is likely to be low due to widespread voter apathy, and some warn that it might be very close to the 50-percent threshold to make the vote binding.
      But Paksas refused talk for a 'Plan B' in case of a flop. "There is no need for that," he said.
      Voters in three countries which signed the accession treaty have already approved joining, Malta by a margin of just over seven percentage points and Slovenia and Hungary overwhelmingly.
      "Sure, only 52 percent of our voters came out for the combined presidential and municipal elections (in December)," Paksas said.
      "But I think people realise this ballot is totally unique, the chance of a lifetime.
      "There is the sense that we will celebrate our EU entry date each year just as we mark other landmark dates in our statehood."
      The Lithuanian leader was also unruffled by the meagre 46 percent participation at the most recent EU referendum in Hungary, noting that country's electorate had reasons to be less motivated.
      "Hungary has a softer referendum law, and remember they were next door to the Soviet Union but not inside it," Paksas said.
      PASSING THE TORCH
      Paksas said Lithuania had learned from the successful EU ballots this spring, and planned to share its own experience with the other five states that have yet to vote.
      "Our referendum results are eagerly awaited in Poland, as well as in Latvia and Estonia where polls show lower support levels," he said.
      EU officials visiting Vilnius last week said they counted on Lithuania to lead the region in voting for Europe now, just as in 1990 its "Singing Revolution" led the Baltic drive to break free of Soviet occupation.
      Lithuania's rural voters have been the most doubtful, but Paksas said there was no need to worry about a rural revolt.
      "Farmers have been falsely labelled as eurosceptics. Sure, many say they have it difficult now, but there are always people with problems, with or without the EU," he said.
      "I personally have spoken with many farmers, and all I hear is that they will vote 'yes'."

Senate Panel Backs NATO Expansion
Reuters Online Service Wednesday, April 30, 2003 1:46:00 PM
Copyright 2003 Reuters Ltd.

      WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The Senate Foreign Relations Committee backed the admission of seven new members into NATO on Wednesday, beginning an approval process the Senate hopes to complete before a visit to Europe by President Bush in June.
      The committee unanimously passed a measure backing the addition of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania to the alliance's current 19-nation membership.
      The full Senate was expected to vote as early as next week on the protocol. It is expected to get the needed two-thirds majority and does not require a House of Representatives vote.
      Committee Chairman Richard Lugar said while considering the expansion, the Senate also must weigh how to retool NATO to fight terrorism, saying it "will have failed in the most fundamental sense of defending our nations and our way of life" if it cannot help avert a major terrorist attack.
      Lugar, an Indiana Republican, also wants NATO to play a major role in peacekeeping and humanitarian duties in Iraq, saying "a strong commitment by NATO nations to this role would be an important step in healing alliance divisions and reaffirming its relevance for the long run."
      Bush travels to Europe in early June for a Group of Eight leaders meeting.

Bush to Meet with NATO Invitees
Reuters Online Service Friday, May 02, 2003 3:50:00 PM
Copyright 2003 Reuters Ltd.

      WASHINGTON (Reuters) — President Bush will meet next week with foreign ministers of seven eastern European nations invited to join NATO, six of which were part of the anti-Iraq coalition.
      White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the May 8 meeting would include the foreign ministers of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
      All of the nations except Slovenia were listed by the White House as part of its coalition against Iraq, providing non-military assistance to the U.S.-led effort that ousted Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein.
      McClellan said Bush would also invite leaders of the U.S. Senate to the meeting to try to push the Senate toward ratifying the expansion of NATO to include the seven invitees.
      "Their membership in NATO will strengthen the alliance, which remains the central pillar of transatlantic relations," he said.
      Bush will meet with NATO Secretary-General George Robertson on May 5 at the White House.

Lithuanians yawn as crucial EU vote looms
Reuters World Report Saturday, May 03, 2003 9:02:00 PM
Copyright 2003 Reuters Ltd.
By Bryan Bradley

      VILNIUS, May 4 (Reuters) — When the head of the European Parliament visited Lithuania last month to drum up support for EU membership at a referendum in May, little more than a third of the Baltic state's lawmakers bothered to turn up to hear him.
      Similar apathy among the country's 3.5 million voters in the May 10-11 referendum could torpedo Lithuania's plans to join the EU next year and have a knock-on effect in other former communist states still to vote on joining the bloc.
      There is real concern that less than half the electorate will turn up to vote, rendering the referendum invalid.
      Many Lithuanians are suffering from political fatigue after more than a decade of post-Soviet reforms that have propelled the country to the doorstep of the EU and NATO.
      The absence of any organised opposition to the EU has left a dull, one-sided public debate, and even the recently introduced cut-price "Eurobeer" has failed to create much cheer.
      "Many see EU entry as an arranged marriage — there is no love, no passion," said Baltic political expert Artis Pabriks.
      "If Lithuania votes 'No', it could cause chaos in Europe."
      Among the 10 EU candidates, Slovenia, Hungary and the small Mediterranean island of Malta have already voted to join the EU next May, though Hungary's turnout was far lower than expected.
      A fourth thumbs-up would help the pro-EU camp gather steam in the remaining candidates, especially Lithuania's more eurosceptic Baltic neighbours Latvia and Estonia.
      Leaders in the closely integrated Baltic region hope a Lithuanian 'Yes' vote would push undecided voters in the other two countries to support EU entry and avoid an awkward split.
      The biggest EU candidate, Poland, votes next month, also needing a 50 percent turnout to make the referendum binding. Otherwise EU membership would lie in the hands of the country's fractious parliament.
      PROVINCIAL PLACE
      Latest polls show 65 percent of Lithuanians back EU entry, with opposition just above 13 percent and the rest undecided.
      Pollsters say there are no reliable turnout forecasts but expect it to be close to the 53 percent level at January's presidential run-off when rightist Rolandas Paksas stunned pundits by ousting popular incumbent Valdas Adamkus.
      Darius Pocius, a middle-aged tax collector, says he will vote 'Yes', but fears not enough people would bother to vote.
      "Lithuania is a totally provincial place," Pocius said. "We are such a small country and that's why we're joining the EU, to be something and not be stuck in the middle of nowhere."
      Many Lithuanians point proudly to a small pyramid in a forest east of Vilnius that marks Europe's geographical centre. But others note this does not bring them any closer to the EU's political heart, 1,400 km (870 miles) to the west in Brussels.
      As in most of the ex-Soviet satellites queuing to join the EU, Lithuanians are split between younger, urban 'haves', who stand to gain most from Brussels and elderly, rural 'have nots', who see few benefits in joining a remote and faceless Union.
      The political elite and city slickers talk of the benefits of EU political and economic integration, with more jobs, better facilities, travel and education opportunities. But many of those left behind by the post-Soviet reforms are less convinced.
      "My opinion doesn't mean a damn thing — this was all decided long ago by the people in power," said Albinas, who owns a tiny potato farm close to the eastern border with Belarus.
      "I'm a nobody, and my song has already been sung," he said, explaining why he would not vote.
      DESPAIR
      Albinas has seen little of the economic miracle that has turned the Baltic laggard into a "star performer" in the words of the International Monetary Fund. The economy grew by 6.7 percent in 2002 despite a global downturn.
      Albinas' 12-year-old daughter suggested that the EU could bring opportunities for travel, study and work, but Albinas scoffed at the idea.
      "You need money to travel, but you don't have any," he said.
      Gediminas Kirkilas, head of parliament's foreign affairs committee, despairs at such attitudes, saying many Lithuanians fail to realise that a 'No' vote will cost them dearly.
      "Lithuania's economy, manufacturing and trade are already strongly integrated into the EU due to the belief that Lithuania will become a member state and adopt EU market rules," he said.
      "Economists say that, if we don't join the EU, we'll lose 10 billion litas ($3.17 billion) in GDP growth annually."
      Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas has tried to drive home a simpler message, saying a 'Yes' vote would mean that "for at least 30 years to come everything will be okay in Lithuania."
      The ruling leftist coalition says there is no 'Plan B', meaning a 'No' or invalid vote would force Lithuania to wait until 2007 for a second chance to join the EU along with Romania and Bulgaria.
      But Albinas said that would change nothing for him.
      "We drink our moonshine and smoke our contraband cigarettes, and that's enough for us."

Ice hockey-Latvians topple Russia
Reuters Sports Report Sunday, May 04, 2003 3:57:00 PM
Copyright 2003 Reuters Ltd.
By Alan Crosby

      HELSINKI, May 4 (Reuters) — A late goal gave Latvia an upset 2-1 victory over Russia while undefeated Slovakia and the Czech Republic both rolled to easy wins at the world ice hockey championship on Sunday.
      Carolina Hurricanes forward Jan Hlavac led the Czechs with a pair of goals to beat Germany 4-0 in Group E action after the reigning champion, Slovakia, had routed Austria 7-1.
      In the city of Turku, Canada's offense continued to sputter, but still managed a 2-0 victory over Switzerland.
      In one of hockey's most heated rivalries, Latvia, part of the former Soviet Union, held the favoured Russians scoreless for two periods in some exciting wide open hockey.
      Leonids Tambijevs then stunned the Russians with a goal just 15 seconds into the final period to send the mainly pro-Latvian crowd into a frenzy.
      But Russia put most back in their seats when Los Angeles Kings wing Alexander Frolov tied the game up 33 seconds later.
      The game then appeared headed for a tie until Vadims Romanovskis blasted a shot high past Egor Podomatsky with just over eight minutes to play.
      "It's probably the biggest goal of my career," said Romanovskis, who plays for HK Riga 2000.
      Stunned by a 2-2 tie against Denmark in its last game, the Canadians struggled once again to find the mark.
      New York Ranger Anson Carter finally broke open a scoreless game at 12:16 of the second period before Shawn Hocroff added an insurance marker at 6:29 of the third period.
      The win keeps Latvia's slim hopes of a quarter-final berth alive while the Russians are now likely to finish third behind Canada, whom they play on Monday, and Sweden.
      Canada remains unbeaten and atop of Group F on seven points, one ahead of the Swedes.
      CZECHS OUTSHOT
      The Czechs, champions from 1999-2001, looked out of sorts for most of the game in which they were outshot 23 to 19 but never looked in peril.
      Hlavac's first goal at 3:35 of the first opened the scoring and when Robert Reichel's weak wrist shot from just inside the blueline fooled German goalie Robert Muller, the Czechs cruised for the rest of the game.
      "We just couldn't get into the flow of the game tonight," said Czech coach Slava Lener. "They showed us how to play the power play, and that's a part of the game where we have struggled."
      Slovakia had an easy win over Austria to set up a showdown with the Czechs on Monday for supremacy in the group.
      Los Angeles Kings forward Zigmund Palffy added three points to keep his lead as the tournament's leading scorer as seven different players found the back of the net.
      Jozef Stumpel, Lubomir Visnovsky, Richard Kapus, Richard Zednik, Peter Bondra, Ladislav Nagy and Palffy all scored, while Daniel Welser was the lone Austrian marksman.
      Palffy has seven goals and six assists for 13 points in the tournament to lead team mate Stumpel, who has three goals and nine assists for 12 points.
      Slovakia added more firepower on Sunday with the arrival of Pavol Demitra from the St Louis Blues.
      The Slovaks, who have won 11 consecutive world championships games dating back to last year, are tied with the Czechs atop Group F with eight points in four games. Finland and Germany are next, with four points each.

Sweden win lifts Russia into quarterfinals
AP WorldStream Tuesday, May 06, 2003 5:02:00 PM
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press
By ERICA BULMAN
AP Sports Writer

      TURKU, Finland (AP) — Sweden rallied from a goal down to blaze a 5-2 win over Switzerland on Tuesday and end Latvia's magical run and lift Russia into the world ice hockey championship quarterfinals.
      Latvia beat Denmark 4-2 but could advance over Russia only if Sweden lost or tied. Also Tuesday, Germany held Finland to a 2-2 draw, and Austria downed the Ukraine 5-2 in a game between two teams out of quarterfinal contention.
      In the quarterfinals Wednesday, its Canada vs. Germany, Czech Republic vs. Russia, Slovakia vs. Switzerland, and Sweden vs. Finland.
      Sweden snapped out of its slumber and indiscipline after Switzerland led 2-1 when Martin Pluss scored twice in less than two minutes in the first period.
      Sweden saved face on a power-play goal by Dick Tarnstrom in the second period, then Mika Hannula netted the game-winner 3:27 into the third. Mats Sundin and Peter Nordstrom each had a goal and an assist.
      "We played pretty bad in the first period. We played better in the second and pretty good in the third," Sweden forward P.J. Axelsson said.
      Sweden now has a quarterfinal with archrival Finland, while the Swiss will meet the defending champion Slovaks.
      "It'll be like Switzerland playing Brazil in soccer," Swiss defenseman Olivier Keller said. "They are world champions and have an incredible team with super strong attackers like Zigmund Palffy and Richard Zednik.
      "But we have nothing to lose and we're under no pressure. Maybe we can trouble them and create the surprise."
      Finland already knew it was in the last eight, and gave a lazy effort against Germany in Helsinki.
      Daniel Kreutzer salvaged the 2-2 tie for Germany by scoring a fluke second-period goal which silenced the sellout crowd of 13,289 at Hartwall Arena, where fans are becoming increasingly frustrated over the Finns' inconsistent performances.
      Finland, one of the co-favorites, has never won a championship on home ice in five attempts, and has never beaten Sweden at home in the worlds.
      "It's always fun playing Finland," Axelsson said smiling. "It's always a tough match. It's like Canada playing the United States. Of course meeting them in the final would have been better ..."
      Last year, the Finns led the bronze-medal game 3-0 in Goteborg, Sweden, but the Swedes came back to win 5-3.
      Latvia rallied to beat Denmark after a stern lecture from coach Curt Lindstrom before the third period.
      Gregorijs Pantelejevs and Alexsandrs Kercs scored to break the 2-2 deadlock.
      Karlis Skrastins had three assists, and Kercs also nailed the game's opening goal, which was overtaken by Danish scores to Mike Grey and Lasse Degn.
      "The Danes took us by surprise and we had to fight them off," Latvia goalie Arturs Irbe said. "They are not a bad team. I wasn't supposed to let in any goals. We really had to focus to get back in there and hold them off."
      Denmark had no chance of making the quarterfinals, but it left its mark on the championship after 54 years away.
      The Danes upset the United States 5-2 and stunned Canada 2-2.
      "My team was very tired," Denmark coach Mikael Lundstrom said. "With injuries and losing two forwards, we were playing with only three lines.
      "Overall we're happy, but we can't be happy that we lost the last game. There's frustration in there, especially since we were 2-2, so losing is not so good."

Investigators seize 14 million cigarettes
AP WorldStream Tuesday, May 06, 2003 9:36:00 AM
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press

      BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) — European investigators said Tuesday they had seized over 14 million cigarettes and arrested 10 people after breaking a smuggling ring bringing tobacco into western Europe from the Baltic states.
      An operation involving police from several nations led to the arrest of three Latvians in Germany and seven people in the Netherlands whose nationalities were not released, said the European Union's Anti-Fraud Office.
      In a statement, the office said criminals in Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania were involved in smuggling the cigarettes into the EU.
      Many were destined for Britain, fraudulently packaged as leading British bands, added the office, which is known by its French acronym OLAF.
      Investigations involving officers from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Britain, France and the three Baltic states led to the seizure of 10,350,000 cigarettes in Germany.
      Four million more cigarettes and 35 tons of illicit hand-rolling tobacco were found in Belgium along with a production plant used to manufacture and package British-brand cigarettes, OLAF said.
      EU nations say they lose hundreds of millions of euro (US$) each year in lost tax revenue due to cigarette smuggling from eastern Europe, often by organized crime gangs.
      OLAF said the latest arrests came after increased international cooperation following a 2001 seizure of 25 million cigarettes in the Belgian port of Antwerp, hidden in a shipload of peat moss from Latvia and Lithuania.
      The Baltic gang switched to trucks to smuggle its tobacco into the EU after that, OLAF said.

In Latvia, a remembrance of sailors
AP WorldStream Thursday, May 08, 2003 7:53:00 AM
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press
By MICHAEL TARM
Associated Press Writer

      RIGA, Latvia (AP) — More than 60 years after they joined U.S. Atlantic convoys in running the gantlet of German U-boats during World War II, 164 Latvian sailors were honored Thursday on both sides of that ocean.
      The men were crews on eight Latvian-flagged freighters that defied Soviet orders and remained at sea after Red Army troops occupied the Baltic Sea nation on June 17, 1940.
      The newspaper Chas ran a several-part series about the fleet last month, telling Latvians about the sailors, their exploits and role in World War II.
      The story — banned from history books and newspapers during five decades of Soviet rule -- came as a surprise to virtually everyone in the country of 2.4 million that, over the past decade, has been rediscovering a history that was suppressed.
      "It was a tremendous injustice that these men were never known in their own motherland, Latvia," said Alex Krasnitsky, an organizer of Thursday's memorials.
      Commemorations included the laying of wreaths simultaneously in the Gulf of Riga and above the site where one of the ships, the Ciltvaira, was sunk off the coast of Nags Head, North Carolina, in 1942. A plaque honoring the sailors was also unveiled in the capital, Riga.
      "It was a cruel war," said Riga Deputy Mayor Sergey Dolgopolov. "But there must be no forgotten pages."
      The memorial reads: "In the gallant memory of Latvian merchant sailors who in 1940 kept Latvian flags flying."
      Only one sailor aboard the ships is believed to still be alive. He lives in Boston and his family, who wouldn't release his name, said he was too frail to travel.
      After annexing Latvia, Josef Stalin's regime ordered all Latvian vessels to return home, and threatened to deport the families of any rebellious sailors to labor camps. Dozens of ships did return -- and some of their crews were exiled to Siberia and were never heard from again.
      But crews on the eight ships refused the order and, along with Latvian embassies in Washington and London, became the last remnants of an independent Latvia.
      After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the ships ferried coal, rubber and other raw materials needed by the United States to wage war in Europe. By this time, the Latvian nation had already been seized by the Nazis, an occupation that would last until 1944.
      The Ciltvaira was the first of the Latvian ships destroyed. Within nine months, five others sank -- the Everasma, Abgara, Everalda, Regent and Everelza. Only the Everagra and Ke'gums survived the war.

U.S. approves NATO expansion
Reuters Financial Report Thursday, May 08, 2003 7:23:00 PM
Copyright 2003 Reuters Ltd.
By Vicki Allen

      WASHINGTON, May 8 (Reuters) — The United States on Thursday formally backed NATO's expansion, with the Senate voting unanimously to add seven Eastern European nations to the military alliance.
      The U.S. Senate voted 96-0 to add Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
      Foreign ministers of the countries watched the Senate vote and met later with President George W. Bush who said the seven nations "have proven themselves to be allies by their actions and now it is time to make them allies by treaty."
      The U.S. House of Representatives does not have to vote on the protocol. Canada and Norway are the only other countries to ratify the expansion, which must be approved by all 19 member nations.
      After a Senate debate that focused largely on criticizing NATO members that opposed the war to oust Saddam Hussein from Iraq, Bush praised the seven nations for backing the U.S.-led war. He urged other NATO members to ratify the agreement quickly.
      Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar called the vote "historic for these seven countries" and "vital in continuing to strengthen" the alliance.
      "Many observers will point to the split over Iraq as a sign that NATO is failing or irrelevant. I disagree," the Indiana Republican said, adding he was confident U.S. support for NATO expansion would help repair relations with allies.
      Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican who accused France of "pursuing a systematic campaign to undermine American leadership in Europe and the world" with efforts to block the Iraq war, said the United States received "significant political and logistical support" from the seven nations.
      While some critics have questioned whether the seven countries have sufficient military muscle, backers said they bring nearly 200,000 troops into the alliance.
      NATO was last expanded in 1999 to add the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.
      Senators also urged Bush to call on NATO to consider two major changes in its procedures, despite White House reservations, including the alliance's requirement for consensus decisions.
      Critics have argued such decisions may not be possible with the larger alliance and when confronting murkier threats, like terrorism, which crosses borders.
      Senators also urged setting up a process to suspend membership if a country falls under dictatorship or otherwise deviates from NATO's fundamental principles.
      Backers said the measure was not targeted at any country and was meant to deal with future problems.

Lithuanians give huge "Yes" to EU
Reuters World Report Sunday, May 11, 2003 6:57:00 PM
Copyright 2003 Reuters Ltd.
By Bryan Bradley

      VILNIUS, May 11 (Reuters) — Lithuanians gave a huge "Yes" to European Union entry in a weekend referendum, early results showed, with nine out of 10 voters in favour of joining the wealthy bloc next year.
      The "Yes" vote completes the ex-Soviet republic's return to mainstream Europe after more than a decade of reforms and should give a boost to several other candidate countries yet to hold their ballots on EU entry.
      "I am really proud of the historic step the Lithuanian people has taken," Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas said.
      "Now I can say with a certain inner confidence that everything will be okay for Lithuania."
      The election committee said that with more than half of the votes counted in the two-day poll, 90 percent had voted in favour, much higher than the two-thirds suggested by the latest estimate.
      Analysts said the naysayers chose to stay at home and try to invalidate the vote by keeping turnout under the required 50 percent.
      The small Baltic country is one of 10 mostly ex-communist states hoping to join the EU, and the fourth hopeful to vote in favour of joining the wealthy club after Malta, Slovenia and Hungary all voted "Yes" earlier this year.
      President Rolandas Paksas told Reuters the day Lithuania joins the EU, due on May 1, 2004, would be celebrated in the same way the Lithuanians mark the day they gained independence from Moscow in 1991.
      "I am very proud of Lithuania having passed this test of democracy," he said.
      The head of the local European Commission delegation, Michael Graham, congratulated Lithuania. "It's a fantastic result," he said.
      BATON PASSED ON
      The pro-EU political elite led a frantic campaign urging people to vote, with politicians near panic after lacklustre turnout on Saturday's first day.
      Fears that apathy could kill the vote lasted well into the final day of voting, but numbers of votes cast jumped around midday and ended at around 64 percent, including postal votes.
      Celebrations were already under way in the capital Vilnius, with lawmakers enjoying a champagne reception at parliament and fireworks flaming over the city.
      "Tonight we're going to hit the streets partying," said student Liutauras Kazlavickas. "Earlier, we feared it could flop on low turnout, but now we're all happy and full of energy."
      Many see the Lithuania poll as a critical test ahead of referendums in Slovakia next week and Poland in June, which have similar turnout requirements and struggle with voter apathy.
      Lithuania's thumbs-up is also expected to give a boost to pro-EU camps in its more euro-sceptic Baltic neighbours Latvia and Estonia ahead of referendums in September.
      "My congratulations to all citizens of Lithuania," Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller said, reflecting hopes that Poles will turn out in force in their own referendum on June 7-8.
      Many East Europeans suffer from political fatigue after more than a decade of post-Soviet reforms, and the 3.5 million Lithuanians have grown tired after often painful reforms that have propelled them to the doorstep of NATO and the EU.

EU hails Lithuanian referendum result
AP WorldStream Tuesday, May 13, 2003 1:54:00 PM
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press

      ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The European Union on Tuesday warmly welcomed the result of a weekend referendum in Lithuania showing overwhelming support in the ex-Soviet republic to join the EU next year.
      More than 90 percent of the votes were cast in favor of Lithuania joining the EU's 10-nation expansion eastward.
      "The presidency welcomes the decision of the Lithuanian people regarding their future as part of the European Union," the EU said in an announcement issued in Athens. "This is an important step."
      Greece currently holds the EU presidency.
      The other nations set to join the EU May 1, 2004, are Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Cyprus, Malta, Slovenia and the Czech Republic.

EU enlargement — state of play on referendums
Reuters World Report Friday, May 16, 2003 8:31:00 AM
Copyright 2003 Reuters Ltd.

      BUDAPEST, May 16 (Reuters) — Most of the 10 countries due to join the European Union in May 2004 are holding referendums this year seeking a popular mandate for membership.
      Malta, Slovenia, Hungary and Lithuania have already voted in favour of membership and Slovakia began its two-day referendum on Friday.
      Public support among the remaining central and eastern European countries and in Cyprus is widespread, but there are pockets of euroscepticism, and not all referendums will be plain sailing. Voter turnout is seen as a crucial factor.
      EU enlargement also depends on the parliaments of the 15 existing member states ratifying the accession treaty which was signed by current and prospective members in Greece last month.
      Two other candidates, Romania and Bulgaria, will not join the enlarged EU before 2007. Turkey will begin negotiations in 2005, if it passes a human rights review in December 2004.
      REFERENDUM RESULTS:
      MALTA (March 8): 'Yes': 53.6 percent; 'No': 46.4 percent. Turnout: 91 percent. The result was endorsed in an April general election won by the pro-EU nationalist party.
      SLOVENIA (March 23): 'Yes': 89.6 percent; 'No': 10.4 percent. Turnout: 60.3 percent.
      HUNGARY (April 12): 'Yes': 83.8 percent; 'No': 16.2 percent. Turnout: 45.6 percent.
      LITHUANIA (May 10-11): 'Yes': 91 percent; 'No': nine percent. Turnout: 64 percent.
      REFERENDUM UNDER WAY:
      SLOVAKIA: May 16-17
      Public opinion: Latest state-sponsored poll showed strong 77 percent support for EU among the 67 percent intending to vote.
      Note: Valid referendum needs 50 percent turnout. Government itself appears unclear if vote is binding. In the event of an invalid or 'No' vote, parliament can ratify EU treaty with three-fifths majority.
      REFERENDUMS TO COME:
      POLAND: June 7-8
      Public opinion: Latest April poll for the Rzeczpospolita daily showed 81 percent of those intending to vote would back EU membership, up from 73 percent. Opposition fell to 13 percent from 19. Of those surveyed, 56 percent said they would definitely vote, up two points.
      Notes: Referendum rules are designed to ensure any decision to join the EU is taken on the basis of a strong mandate. A two-thirds majority would be needed in both houses of parliament if voter turnout is below 50 percent. No previous post-communist referendum had 50 percent turnout.
      CZECH REPUBLIC: June 13-14
      Public opinion: Latest TNS Factum poll (May 7) shows 83 percent of those planning to vote favour EU entry, up from 76 percent and the highest level since polls started in February.
      Notes: Binding vote, but no minimum turnout rule. No repeat referendum for at least two years.
      ESTONIA: September 14
      Public opinion: Support has risen to 57 percent, opposition dipped to 36 percent.
      Notes: Non-binding referendum, with no minimum turnout requirement. No coordinated anti-EU movement, but critical umbrella group could emerge. No contingency plans yet in the event of a 'No' vote.
      LATVIA: September 20
      Public opinion: SKDS poll has 'Yes' vote rising to 50.2 percent in March, up 2.7 points from February, with opposition dipping to 33.1 percent from 37.6 percent.
      Notes: Binding referendum, with minimum turnout of at least 50 percent. No anti-EU group, but high potential given strong anti-EU sentiment. Analysts have said a 'No' vote would result in second referendum to coincide with 2006 general election.
      CYPRUS: No referendum. In the absence of a deal on a U.N. reunification plan, Cypriot House of Representatives is expected to ratify EU membership, probably by July.
      Public opinion: Pro-EU support among Greek Cypriots is above 75 percent, with some rural opposition.

EU Expansion Highlights Tensions With U.S.
AP WorldSources Online Friday, May 16, 2003 10:13:00 AM
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press.
Copyright 2003 ST. PETERSBURG TIMES

      ST. PETERSBURG TIMES — SLOWLY but surely, the peoples of 10 new member states are voting to join the European Union. On the weekend, Lithuania became the fourth to hold a referendum. An overwhelming majority-91 percent of those who turned out-said yes to membership.
      Some might say that is perfectly predictable. But it is not. It could still go wrong. Referendums have to be held in six more countries, and parliamentary ratification must be given in all the old ones, before enlargement can happen. Not all are so enthusiastic. And the transatlantic spat between "old" Europe and the U.S. administration is making matters worse.
      The new members are set to join what has hitherto been a club of the rich. All will end up as big net recipients from the EU budget. For the eight emerging from the democratic desert of the former Soviet empire, the EU represents a guarantee of prosperity and political stability. It will make the continent a safer and more predictable place. It will underpin democracy and reinforce the rule of law. In short, it should be a good thing for all-and not just in Europe.
      Yet negotiations have been painful, slow and bruising. Instead of being greeted with acclamation, the new members have been treated grudgingly and forced to accept every dot and comma of the EU rules from day 1, with very few exceptions.
      And now the new member states suddenly find themselves caught in the middle of the transatlantic divide. It is not just about Iraq. It is also about the longstanding U.S. hostility toward the International Criminal Court, the EU-supported institution supposed to try international war crimes. Washington is stepping up the pressure. The splits are in danger of souring the entire enlargement process just as it is about to happen. It could yet upset a few of the votes.
      Donald Rumsfeld, the irrepressible U.S. defense secretary, wants to divide Europe into the "new," who back the United States and the "old," with France and Germany. When they spoke out in favor of U.S. policy in Iraq, French President Jacques Chirac called them "infantile."
      It is a choice that none of them wants to make. They want to have it both ways. But the diplomatic pressures are inexorable.
      Take the dilemma of Poland, for example. As far as "hard" military security is concerned, there is no doubt that Poles trust America more than their European neighbors. They still fear Russia as a potential invader.
      On questions of defense, they want to be under Washington's umbrella. That is why they sent special forces to Iraq, and why they have said that they will command one of the three military "stabilization" zones trying to preserve the peace there.
      The trouble is, they cannot afford it, and nor do they have the command and planning infrastructure. It is a splendid gesture, but it would need support from other European allies, not to mention the cash. In Brussels, people are already asking why Poland should expect to get big handouts from the EU budget if it promptly spends them on a U.S. exercise in Iraq.
      So Poland is lowering its ambitions-and insisting on a United Nations resolution to underpin the operation.
      Polish voters are still enthusiastic about joining the EU. The latest polls predict a yes vote of about 80 percent in the referendum to be held in early June. But they also have to get a 50-percent turnout for approval. That has never been achieved in any previous post-communist referendum.
      There is a hard core of anti-EU opposition, now campaigning for abstention to keep the voting figure down. They are exploiting the EU-U.S. divide for all it is worth. The result is still very much in the balance.
      In the Baltic republic of Latvia, where there is still a big Russian-speaking population, the outcome is much closer. Polls put the yes vote at about 50 percent, with opposition at about 33 percent. And they also have to get a 50 percent turnout.
      Latvia is one of the East European countries where the United States is stepping up pressure for a special deal on the ICC. Washington wants all U.S. citizens to be exempted from prosecution in the court. Albania and Romania have already agreed. Now Bosnia, Bulgaria and Latvia are under pressure to follow suit, even if it infuriates the EU, as Washington knows it will.
      The "new" Europeans from the old Soviet empire are adamant: They do not want to be forced to choose. They want to be good members of the EU; and they want to be good U.S. allies in NATO.
      In the near term, NATO is more important for most of them, as it is for Poland. That is why they all signed statements backing U.S. policy in Iraq. The Russian bear is still seen as a threat, though increasingly toothless.
      In the longer run, however, the "soft" security of EU membership will undoubtedly mean more-taking part in EU programs, qualifying for regional subsidies and sharing the internal market. The United States will never provide comparable economic support.
      The time has come for the "new" Europeans to draft a new statement to send to U.S. President George W. Bush. It does not have to take sides. It simply has to say they want it both ways: to be good allies and good Europeans. Why do they have to choose?
      Quentin Peel is international-affairs editor of the Financial Times, where this comment first appeared.

Latvia seeks to revive Ventpils oil port
Reuters World Report Tuesday, May 20, 2003 9:30:00 AM
Copyright 2003 Reuters Ltd.
By Jorgen Johansson

      RIGA, May 20 (Reuters) — Latvia's Economy Minister said on Tuesday its Ventspils oil port, loading only a trickle of crude since the beginning of the year, should re-emerge as a main transit corridor between Russian producers and Western markets.
      "We are interested in becoming a transit corridor between Russia and the European Union, including oil," Juris Lujans told Reuters, adding the former Soviet republic and European Union candidate hoped Brussels would lend a helping hand.
      Ventspils was once the biggest outlet for Russian crude in northwest Europe, but now the port relies entirely on minor rail shipments, creating a major headache for the Latvian government ahead of a second-stage sell-off this autumn.
      Russia's state pipeline monopoly Transneft has halted all crude pipeline shipments to Ventspils, saying there is not sufficient capacity after its own Primorsk started up, and has downplayed the chances of any crude flowing this year.
      Riga sees the halt of shipments to Ventspils, capable of reloading 350,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Russian crude, as a politically motivated ploy to get a 37-percent state stake at a bargain price and has appealed to the EU for help this spring.
      Rail deliveries to Ventspils have been boosted to all-time highs to compensate for the pipeline outage, and the port handled a total 288,000 bpd of crude and oil products in February, slightly above a previous monthly record from 1996.
      Traders say exports of Russian gas oil are set to jump to around 900,000 tonnes (216,000 bpd) in May from about 850,000 tonnes (211,000 bpd) in April.
      The EU has said it will raise the issue of Ventspils during an EU-Russia summit starting at the end of May.
      Lujans said he outlined the Ventspils situation during a recent visit to Brussels, adding he saw Ventspils as a key link between the enlarged EU of 25 members from May 2004 and Russia.
      "We could transport more than 10 percent of all Russia's oil exports," he said, adding there was still Western interest in Ventspils despite the current lack of crude.
      "But our target is to get the best amount of money in the selling process, no matter who the buyer is," Lujans said.
      Government sources say Latvia will prefer to see a mix of Western and Russian ownership in the strategically important Ventspils to ensure both supply and demand from the ice-free port on the Baltic Sea coast.
      BLURRED OWNERSHIP
      The Ventspils oil terminal is 47 percent owned by the privately-owned Latvijas Nafta Transit (LNT), which Lujans said even the Latvian state did not know its ownership.
      "We don't know who's behind LNT, but we'd like to know since they ask for the government's support," Lujans said.
      The already uneasy relationship between LNT and the current government -- a four-party rightist coalition which came to power only last autumn -- has recently become strained as the government launched an investigation into the privatisation in the late 1990s.
      The government said it launched the probe due to suspicions of irregularities, but has not given any further details.
      The investigation was called at the same time as LNT sold a 9.2 percent stake with a repurchase option to finance the exercise of an option of another five-percent share.
      Lujans declined to comment on the investigation, saying the conflict was less important to the government than Ventspils oil port now running without pipeline crude.
      "And at the moment the pipes are empty," he said.

Latvian Russians protest planned school closings
AP WorldStream Friday, May 23, 2003 12:18:00 PM
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press
By J. MICHAEL LYONS
Associated Press Writer

      RIGA, Latvia (AP) — Nearly 15,000 Latvians rallied against the elimination of state-funded Russian schools Friday, the biggest protest in the Baltic state since it broke free of the Soviet Union in 1991.
      Organizers scheduled the event a day before the annual Eurovision contest is aired, taking advantage of the nearly 1,000 foreign journalists who have gathered in the capital, Riga, to cover the European contest of original music. The protest was held just a few blocks from the event's site.
      Singing folk songs and waving signs, the protesters included thousands of students who would be affected by the decision to switch the language of instruction in 150 schools from Russian to Latvian. Many came to the capital in buses from the country side.
      Latvia's government plans to phase out state-funded education in Russian, which is spoken by about 35 percent of Latvia's 2.4 million people, by 2004 and replace it with Latvian.
      The move is the latest effort to restore the Latvian language, which Russian supplanted during the Soviet era.
      Many ethnic Russians are descendants of industrial workers and others sent here during the Soviet era. Most speak Latvian poorly or not at all and fear the move is a government attempt to assimilate them into Latvian culture.
      "Russian is not only our language it's our way of life," said Jana Krainova, 16, tapping her foot as a man sang in Russian nearby. "Our government wants to destroy our way of life."
      Students waved placards reading "Hands Off Our Schools" and "We want to learn in our own language."
      Government officials contend the plan will help Russian students learn Latvian, a requirement to obtain good jobs in the public and private sector and admission to most universities.
      Nils Muiznieks, head of the newly created Ministry of Social Integration, argued for the reform.
      "For these kids to compete they need more than a few hours of language courses a week," he said.

In Latvia, European pop's best, worst gather
AP WorldStream Saturday, May 24, 2003 9:27:00 AM
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press

      RIGA, Latvia (AP) — Europe's glitzy battle of the bands kicks off Saturday with its annual fare of the weirdest, wildest and -- some say -- the worst pop music has to offer.
      Latvia is hosting the 48th Eurovision Song Contest, which this year features acts from 26 countries, ranging from sassy, sexually ambiguous Russian teens to an Austrian chimney sweeper turned cabaret singer.
      They'll compete for call-in votes from at least 150 million television viewers expected to watch the live, three-hour show. Thousands more from around the world are expected to watch the show live on the Internet.
      Long a staple of derision by European sophisticates, critics contend that Eurovision is nothing more than a showcase of kitsch, spotty talent, and vapid lyrics, illustrated in part this year by Slovenia's Karmen Stavac who plans to sing "Nanana."
      "He sang to me na na na na na so naturally he set my heart on fire," the tune goes. "Oh baby, how he was so na na na na."
      But since Eurovision was created in 1956 by the Geneva-based European Broadcasting Union, or EBU, it has become one of Europe's most popular annual music events -- and the biggest pop music pageant of its kind in the world.
      Few winners, except for Swedish supergroup ABBA in 1974 and Canadian chanteuse Celine Dion, who represented Switzerland in 1988, have been propelled to international fame and fortune.
      Oddsmakers this year pick Tatu, two chart-topping Russian teenagers known for their flirtations with lesbianism, to win this year's contest.
      Yulia Volkova and Lena Katina, 18-year-olds whose passionate kisses while performing have garnered plenty of headlines worldwide, hinted they plan to shake up the event when they sing "Don't Believe, Don't Fear, Don't Ask." The duo hasn't hinted what that may be.
      Their manager asked if the rules prohibited performers from taking the stage in the nude, but abandoned the request when warned by organizers not to tarnish the show's family friendly image.
      "They're the bad girls of pop," said the EBU's Sarah Yuen. "We shouldn't have expected them to come here and be nice and pleasant."
      Other hopefuls include Spain's Beth singing "Dime" (Tell Me), Turkey's Sertab Erener with the peppy tune "Every Way That I Can," and Estonia's Ruffus singing "Eighties Coming Back."
      Among the more urbane performers are Alf Poier of Austria, a 36-year-old cabaret singer who bills himself as the "anti-Eurovision" contestant.
      Latvia, a former Soviet republic of 2.4 million people fiercely sensitive about its image worldwide, has paid half the US$11 million to host the concert and is counting on a smooth event. It will be held in the 6,000-seat Skonto Hall.
      The second ex-Soviet bloc country to host the contest after Estonia last year, Latvia won the right to host the event when 22-year-old law student Maria Naumova won last year. The winner's home country is tapped to host the following year's event.
      — — —
      On the Net:
      Eurovision: http://www.eurovision.tv

Turkey's Sertab Erener wins Eurovision
Reuters World Report Saturday, May 24, 2003 7:56:00 PM
Copyright 2003 Reuters Ltd.
By Erik Brynhildsbakken

      RIGA, May 24 (Reuters) — Turkey won the annual Eurovision song contest on Saturday for the first time in a nail-biting final vote, with Sertab Erener winning the hearts of millions of Europeans with her explosive mix of rhythm and belly dancing.
      The charismatic Erener, a well-established singer in her home country, snatched the lead from Belgium only in the final minutes of voting with 167 points against 165, while Russia's lesbian pop duo t.A.T.u. came a close third with 164.
      Erener, whose musical career includes duets with Jose Carreras and Ricky Martin and six albums, stood out among the usual Eurovision offerings of soggy ballads and upbeat disco.
      "All my friends from Turkey are calling me and say 'Come here to party'," a beaming Erener told a news conference, adding Turkey would be up for the costly task of hosting the 2004 bash.
      Belgium's Urban Trad was a huge surprise with their folk-inspired "Sanomi" and low-key stage performance among the many scant skirts and loverboy outfits in the rest of the show.
      The Belgians rushed to congratulate Erener despite the disappointment of losing the top spot at the finish line.
      t.A.T.u. — long a favourite until threats of a shock performance and poor dress rehearsals turned many against the Russian maverick duo -- were still neck-and-neck with their "Ne Ver, Ne Bojsia, Ne Prosi," which translates as "Don't believe, don't fear, don't ask."
      "I really hoped Turkey would win, their song was great," said Nadya Luneva, 26, partying in the streets of the Latvian capital Riga.
      The Russian teenagers had worried organisers in image-conscious Latvia, which won the contest in neighbouring Estonia last year, by saying they would put on a "sexy act" and shock the 160 million viewers across Europe and beyond.
      Many suspected the duo would try to ambush the 48th Eurovision Song Contest with a publicity stunt and give the family event an X-rated spin, with rumours of a nude performance and lesbian kissing, but the two only managed a hasty snog.
      GLITZ AND KITSCH
      While Eurovision's blend of steely ambition and uneven talent is usually greeted with tongue-in-cheek irony in Western Europe, it is hugely popular in countries aspiring to enter mainstream Europe.
      Eurovision has launched superstars like Sweden's ABBA who won in 1974 with the disco classic "Waterloo," but established artists usually shun the event, afraid to jeopardise reputations and alienate fans.
      Most contestants are remembered only for bizarre lyrics, quaint stage shows or the sour note of the partisan votes they receive -- all part of its enduring popularity.
      Last year's winner Marie N, who was co-hosting this year's bash, became a local superstar after her win in Estonia with the Latino "I Wanna" -- an enviable fate not enjoyed by most who brave the Eurovision stage.
      But the 2003 event was no disappointment to the many viewers glued to their TV screens in anticipation of the Eurovision mix of serious and curious, surprising and embarrassing.
      Austria's jokester artist Alf Poier came sixth with "Weil der Mensch Zahlt" (Man is the Measure of all Things), a quirky and naive "hymn to individualism and against collectivism" that had the audience cheering along with its beer-hall oompa riff.
      Greece's bleach-blonde Mando will be remembered for providing the deepest cleavage of the night -- running well below her navel -- while her ballad "Never Let You Go" is likely to be soon forgotten.
      Belgium's Urban Trad climbed all the way to second spot with their "Sanomi" folk effort, although the almost eerily spiritual stage show could keep some younger viewers awake for many nights to come.
      Britain was the ultimate loser of the big night with zero points, after its boy-girl duo with Kylie Minogue look-a-like Jemma Abbey sporting the shortest skirt of the night, delivered their already dull ditty out of tune.

Bewildered Britain debates Eurovision ``nul points''
Reuters World Report Sunday, May 25, 2003 11:13:00 PM
Copyright 2003 Reuters Ltd.

      LONDON, May 26 (Reuters) — Baghdad backlash or just bad singing? Britain's newspapers were deeply divided on Monday over why the UK entrants in the Eurovision Song Contest had been sent home with an historic "nul points."
      Never before in the contest's 47-year history had a British song finished in the bottom three.
      Pop duo Jemini's Chris Cromby and Gemma Abbey were said to be "in shock" as newspapers found excuses ranging from faulty equipment to "shadowy political forces in Europe."
      British politicians were even drawn into the fray, with Welsh Secretary Peter Hain forced in a radio interview on Sunday to tread a wary diplomatic line on the failed song "Cry Baby."
      "Rigged? Of course it is," bellowed the Daily Mirror tabloid, saying that its historic analysis of Eurovision voting proved collusion between Cyprus and Greece, among others.
      The right-leaning Telegraph broadsheet took a similar line, suggesting a conspiracy between Iceland and Norway.
      "Perhaps the mutual back-patting was down to Iceland's decision to restart commercial whaling after a 15-year gap," it said.
      News that Jemini's dressing room was vandalised during their performance in Riga, Latvia added to suspicions that they had been victimised by anti-war Europeans as a result of Britain's role in the Iraq conflict.
      The Independent quoted anti-war parliamentarian Jeremy Corbyn arguing the case.
      But, noted the Guardian, if it was all about politics, why did Britain's allies in Spain and Israel not even hand Jemini a point? It suggested another possibility: "In its search for truth, the nation must face up to another possibility: our song was really crap."
      "It was terrible," The Mirror quoted Louis Walsh, judge on "Popstars: The Rivals" TV talent contest, as saying. "It was just a disgrace -- the worst song I have ever heard."
      Returning on Sunday to London's Heathrow airport, Cromby put on a brave face. He denied that the group were thinking of changing their name to "Nul Points," but added: "We might call the album that."

Russian Foreign Ministry concerned about Russian speakers
AP WorldStream Tuesday, May 27, 2003 2:29:00 PM
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press

      MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday expressed concern about the rights of young Russian speakers in Latvia to be educated in their own language after a protest in that Baltic nation against the elimination of state-funded Russian schools.
      Nearly 15,000 Latvians rallied Friday against the planned phasing out of education in Russian at state schools by 2004 to replace it with Latvian. The move is the latest effort to restore the Latvian language, which Russian supplanted during the Soviet era.
      Some 35 percent of Latvia's 2.4 million people speak Russian.
      "Let's hope that the voice of Latvia's multinational democratic public will be heard both in and outside Riga, first and foremost by the international organizations called upon to protect ethnic minorities from attempts to assimilate them by force," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Latvia dismisses criticism of plan to eliminate Russian schools
AP WorldStream Thursday, May 29, 2003 11:26:00 AM
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press
By J. MICHAEL LYONS
Associated Press Writer

      RIGA, Latvia (AP) — Prime Minister Einars Repse shrugged off criticism from Moscow that Latvia will violate students' rights by scrapping state-funded high school education in Russian.
      Latvia's staunchly pro-Western government will begin switching the primary language of instruction in about 150 high schools from Russian to Latvian in September 2004.
      Some 15,000 people — mostly Russian students and their parents — rallied against the plan last week in the capital, Riga, in one of the biggest demonstrations since Latvia regained independence amid the 1991 Soviet collapse.
      About 35 percent of Latvia's 2.4 million residents are Russian speakers.
      In an interview Thursday with newspaper Lauku Avize, Repse was quoted as saying the rally's organizers were a disloyal "fifth column" trying to foment ethnic tension.
      "Russians were called to join the rally under false pretenses and for purposes hostile to the state," the paper quoted him as saying.
      In a statement Tuesday, Russia's Foreign Ministry said Latvia's decision to eliminate instruction in Russian was part of a wider effort to "assimilate" ethnic Russians by force.
      "I do not pay attention to such nonsense," Repse told journalists Wednesday.
      The phasing out of most Russian-language instruction is the latest effort to strengthen Latvian, which was supplanted by Russian during 50 years of Soviet rule that ended in 1991.
      Most Russian speakers are descendants of industrial workers and others sent to Latvia during the Soviet era. Some claim the government is forcing them to abandon their heritage.
      Latvia's government contends the change will help Russian-speaking students master Latvian, a necessity for well-paying jobs and entrance to Latvian universities. It said the goal is integration, which Russia has called for, not assimilation.
      The European Union, which Latvia will join in May 2004, gave the policy its approval.
      In a compromise, the Cabinet of Ministers last week agreed on regulations that would phase in Latvian-language instruction through 2006.
      Sixty percent of instruction in the 10th grade will be in Latvian during the 2004 school year, followed by the same formula in 11th grade in 2005 and 12th grade in 2006.
      Russian grammar and literature classes will be among those taught in Russian, while subjects such as biology and history would be taught in Latvian.
      Primary and junior high schools began the transition in the mid 1990s.
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