Sveiki, all!

Among other stories in the news, no incentive for Russia to acknowledge Soviet sins if there are no real consequences, EU agreement goes forward even as parties "clash" over history:

This edition's link is to the embassy of the Netherlands. Our picture comes from Peters' trip in October, 2004.

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,

Silvija and Peters
 
  Latvian Link

The Embassy of the Netherlands in Latvia has a wealth of interesting information. Look for the "Economic Newsletters" section. Regular sections include:

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EVENTS
You can access their site at
www.netherlandsembassy.lv

 
  News

Russia and EU agree on breakthrough deal Reuters Business Report Tuesday, May 10, 2005 5:43:00 AM
Copyright 2005 Reuters Ltd.
By Andrew Hurst
MOSCOW, May 10 (Reuters) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday hailed an agreement on closer political and economic ties with the European Union as a big step towards creating a Europe free of barriers.
Russian and the EU, which expanded to Russia's frontiers when it embraced former Soviet allies last year, were expected to sign the breakthrough agreement at a summit later on Tuesday.
"The process of forming a great Europe following the fall of the Berlin wall continues," said Putin at the opening of the EU-Russia summit in the Kremlin.
"We want a Europe without dividing lines."
The two sides, who wound up negotiations on the pact on Monday night, also agreed to hold consultations on easing visa regulations and eventually allowing visa-free travel, said a Foreign Ministry statement.
"I hope the outcome of the summit will be the creation of a sound basis for more dynamic development of relations between Russia and the European Union," Putin was quoted as saying by Itar-Tass news agency.
The two have shared a border in several places since the EU's expansion a year ago to include a string of East European nations, formerly part of the Soviet sphere of influence, and three Baltic states that were part of the Soviet Union itself.
"I think this summit will give a new impulse to our relations," said European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on Monday.
EU officials said the agreement, the full text of which would be published later in the day, provided the basis for regular cooperation on key practical issues of trade and political relations.
EU and Russian leaders were due to hold a news conference after the summit at 1130 GMT.
The accession to the EU of east European states, formerly partners in the Moscow-dominated COMECON trade bloc, has fuelled unease in Moscow that former allies could prove an irritant in Russian ties with the EU.
The pact encompasses four key areas, known in EU parlance as "spaces" — the economy; freedom, security and justice; external security; and research, education and science.
Agreement came a day after world leaders gathered in Moscow to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War Two.
The EU is Moscow's largest trading partner with over half of Russia's exports going to the bloc. Russia supplies the EU with around one fifth of its oil and gas needs. Moscow clearly hopes the deal, of strong symbolic importance, will help strengthen foreign investor confidence.
WTO APPEAL
EU leaders are expected to ask Putin to seize the chance to finalise trade talks in the coming months enabling Russia to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO) by early in 2006.
EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said on the eve of the summit that talks were "creating a possibility of final entry in early 2006." "Russia needs to take advantage of a window between now and the summer to get the accession tied down."
Russia is the largest trading nation still outside the WTO.
Moscow has been responsive to EU demands on strengthening their ties in the weeks and months leading up to the summit.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov conceded in April that the EU had a key role to play in resolving "frozen conflicts" in countries such as Georgia and Moldova, which were formerly part of the Soviet empire.
Sensitivities between Russia and an EU now embracing nations that were once part of the Soviet Union were underscored by an EU statement on Friday that the fall of the Berlin Wall rather than that of Nazi Germany ended dictatorship in Europe.
For three new EU members — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — May 9, 1945 marked the beginning of Soviet occupation rather than a liberation. Russia for its part has accused the Baltic republics of discriminating against Russian-speaking minorities who were left high and dry after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
EU, Russia sign treaty, clash over hisory Reuters World Report Tuesday, May 10, 2005 3:29:00 PM
Copyright 2005 Reuters Ltd.
By Andrew Hurst
MOSCOW, May 10 (Reuters) — Russia and the European Union signed an agreement on closer political and economic ties on Tuesday but a festive atmosphere soured when President Vladimir Putin condemned Baltic nations for resurrecting past grievances.
"We are ready to sign an agreement on borders ... with Estonia and Latvia. We hope they will not be accompanied by idiotic — in terms of their content — demands of a territorial nature," said Putin.
Russia has yet to sign a border delineation agreement with Baltic neighbours Latvia and Estonia, a move that has been repeatedly delayed by poor relations between Moscow and the Baltics — former Soviet republics. Latvia is demanding the handover of a territory it says was taken from it in 1945.
Russia has also been stung by demands from Baltic states that it apologise for what they call occupation by the Soviet Union for almost 50 years after World War Two.
"It does not fit with the spirit of creating a common European home," said Putin in an angry outburst that appeared to take aback EU officials present at a Kremlin news conference held after the signing of the EU-Russian agreement.
"Let's start dividing up everything in Europe? No, no. I don't think so. We appeal to Baltic politicians to stop practising political demagoguery and start constructive work. Russia is ready for such work," said Putin.
His remarks were a reminder that resentments among Baltic countries - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - which joined the EU last year, but spent decades under Soviet rule, have the potential to unsettle relations between Moscow and the bloc.
Earlier, Putin had hailed the agreement with the European Union as a big step towards creating a Europe free of barriers.
"The process of forming a great Europe following the fall of the Berlin wall continues," said Putin, "We want a Europe without dividing lines."
FRIEND OF EUROPE
Jean-Claude Juncker, who holds the rotating EU Presidency, said at the news conference: "We leave with conviction firm that ... President Putin is a friend of Europe. It is not necessary to agree on everything but to know that we work on a basis of common conviction."
He added: "It's not easy to negotiate with Vladimir Putin. He has the conception that he must defend the interests of his country." Juncker said history appeared to weigh heavily in Russia's relations with the Baltic states.
The two sides also agreed to hold consultations on easing visa regulations and eventually allowing visa-free travel, said a Foreign Ministry statement.
EU officials said the agreement provided the basis for regular cooperation on key practical issues of trade and political relations.
The pact encompasses four key areas, known in EU parlance as "spaces" — the economy; freedom, security and justice; external security; and research, education and science.
Agreement came a day after world leaders gathered in Moscow to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War Two.
Putin pointedly criticised Estonia at the news conference for boycotting the celebrations.
The EU is Moscow's largest trading partner with over half of Russia's exports going to the bloc. Russia supplies the EU with around one fifth of its oil and gas needs.
Moscow clearly hopes the deal, of strong symbolic importance, will help strengthen foreign investor confidence.
The EU also threw its support behind Russia's bid to join the World trade Organisation (WTO). Russia is the largest trading nation which is still outside the WTO.
EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said on the eve of the summit that talks were "creating a possibility of final entry in early 2006". "Russia needs to take advantage of a window between now and the summer to get the accession tied down."
Putin lambasts Baltics, sours Russia-EU summit Reuters Business Report Tuesday, May 10, 2005 4:27:00 PM
Copyright 2005 Reuters Ltd.
By Andrew Hurst
MOSCOW, May 10 (Reuters) — President Vladimir Putin angrily accused Baltic states on Tuesday of "political demagoguery" in churning up historic resentments towards Moscow, souring a summit designed to cement relations between the EU and Russia.
Putin was speaking minutes after Russia signed an agreement with the European Union to strengthen ties that have frayed since 2004 when accession of new states including three ex-Soviet Baltic republics brought the bloc to Russian borders.
"We are ready to sign an agreement on borders ... with Estonia and Latvia. We hope they will not be accompanied by idiotic — in terms of their content — demands of a territorial nature," said Putin.
Putin made his comments in the wake of U.S. President George W. Bush's four-day visit to Europe.
Bush expressed open sympathy with the Baltic states over their complaints about relations with Moscow but declined to back their pleas for an apology from Russia for what they call the Soviet occupation following the end of World War Two.
In their meeting on Sunday, Bush urged Putin to respect budding democracies on his border and to push ahead with internal reform — a reference to what some U.S. officials said is Russia's backsliding on democracy.
Russia has yet to sign a border agreement with Baltic neighbours Latvia and Estonia, a move that has been repeatedly delayed by poor ties between Moscow and the Baltics.
Putin called a Latvian territorial claim dating back to 1945 "total nonsense."
"It does not fit with the spirit of creating a common European home," said Putin in an angry outburst that appeared to take aback EU officials present at a Kremlin news conference held after the signing of the EU-Russian agreement.
"Let's start dividing up everything in Europe? No, no. I don't think so. We appeal to Baltic politicians to stop practising political demagoguery and start constructive work. Russia is ready for such work," said Putin.
His remarks were a reminder that resentments among Baltic countries - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - have the potential to unsettle relations between Moscow and the EU.
Earlier, Putin had hailed the agreement with the EU as a big step towards creating a Europe free of barriers.
"The process of forming a great Europe following the fall of the Berlin wall continues," said Putin, "We want a Europe without dividing lines."
FRIEND OF EUROPE
Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker of Luxembourg, which holds the EU presidency, told the news conference: "We leave with conviction firm that ... President Putin is a friend of Europe. It is not necessary to agree on everything but to know that we work on a basis of common conviction."
He added: "It's not easy to negotiate with Vladimir Putin. He has the conception that he must defend the interests of his country." Juncker said history appeared to weigh heavily in Russia's relations with the Baltic states.
The two sides agreed to hold consultations on easing visa regulations and eventually allowing visa-free travel, said a Russian Foreign Ministry statement.
Agreement came a day after world leaders in Moscow marked the 60th anniversary of the end of World War Two in Europe.
Putin pointedly criticised Estonia at the news conference for boycotting the celebrations.
The EU is Moscow's largest trading partner with over half of Russia's exports going to the bloc. Russia supplies the EU with around one fifth of its oil and gas needs.
Moscow clearly hopes the deal, of strong symbolic importance, will help strengthen foreign investor confidence.
The EU also threw its support behind Russia's bid to join the World trade Organisation (WTO). Russia is the largest trading nation which is still outside the WTO.
EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said on the eve of the summit that talks were "creating a possibility of final entry in early 2006." "Russia needs to take advantage of a window between now and the summer to get the accession tied down."
Bush calls Georgia "beacon of liberty" Reuters World Report Tuesday, May 10, 2005 11:54:00 PM
Copyright 2005 Reuters Ltd.
By Margarita Antidze and Caren Bohan
TBILISI, May 10 (Reuters) — To chants of "Bushi, Bushi", U.S. President George W. Bush hailed Georgia's new democracy as a "beacon of liberty" on Tuesday and in a swipe at Moscow said the sovereignty of the ex-Soviet republic must be respected.
Tens of thousands of people jammed into Tbilisi's Freedom Square — once called Lenin Square — to cheer Bush at the rallying point for a 2003 "Rose Revolution" that brought pro-Western President Mikhail Saakashvili to power.
The U.S. Secret Service in Washington said it had been told by Georgian authorities a device described as a possible hand grenade was thrown within 100 feet (30 metres) of Bush during his speech to the tumultuous crowd. The device did not explode.
It said the Secret Service was investigating the incident.
In Tbilisi, no one was immediately available to comment at the Interior Ministry or security services. Bush later left Tbilisi and returned to the White House without incident.
Georgian authorities told the Secret Service that the device hit someone in the crowd and fell to the ground. A Georgian security officer removed the device from the area.
During his 19-hour visit, Bush gave his support to Georgia's efforts to gain the return of two pro-Moscow rebel regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which Saakashvili says is vital for his country to recover from years of economic decline.
But, Bush significantly avoided open backing for Saakashvili in his demand for the speedy closure of two Russian bases on Georgian soil.
Aware that Georgia's fledging democracy feels intimidated by neighbouring Moscow, Bush said Washington encouraged Georgia's closer cooperation with NATO. And he got some of his loudest cheers when he said "the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia must be respected ... by all nations".
Bush ended his four-nation European tour in Georgia after stops in Latvia, the Netherlands and Russia. He used the trip to put pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to respect freedoms at home and in emerging democracies formerly dominated by Moscow.
Putin on Tuesday hit back, using a ceremony to sign a new agreement to strengthen ties with the European Union to accuse the Baltic states of whipping up resentment towards Moscow.
He lambasted Latvia in particular for raising a territorial claim dating back to 1945 in discussions over borders.
"It does not fit with the spirit of creating a common European home," Putin said in an angry outburst that appeared to take aback EU officials present at a Kremlin news conference following the signing of the agreement.
ROSES AND CONVICTIONS
The U.S.-educated Saakashvili asked for Washington's help in joining the list of other ex-Soviet states to join NATO, saying: "Democracy for our society is a natural attribute and we will defend it as we do our national identity."
The crowd, squeezed into the square and flowing beyond it, responded enthusiastically to the first visit by a sitting U.S. president to the mountainous Caucasus state. Estimates of their numbers ranged from at least 60,000 to well over 100,000.
As the two leaders appeared on the makeshift stage, the crowd chanted "Misha, Misha!" — the short form of Saakashvili's first name — and then "Bushi, Bushi!" — the Georgian language version of the U.S. president's name.
Bush recalled Georgia's long struggle for independence that led to the "people's power" revolution of November 2003.
"You gathered here armed with nothing but roses and the power of your convictions, and you claimed your liberty. And because you acted, Georgia is today both sovereign and free and a beacon of liberty for this region and the world," Bush said.
The Caucasus is home to a string of local conflicts arising from the collapse of the Soviet Union. Georgia borders Russia's troubled Chechnya region and is on the route for a U.S.-backed pipeline linking Caspian Sea oilfields to world markets.
Bush told Saakashvili at a joint news conference he could telephone him any time to seek help on the disputes over the rebel regions but suggested international bodies such as the United Nations also be brought in to solve the issue peacefully.
"The (Georgian) president has put a way forward that encourages autonomy and self government but does not encourage dividing up this great country. This seems to me ... to be a very reasonable proposition," he said.
AVOIDS BASE DISPUTE
In reply to a question, Bush avoided support for Georgia in its dispute with the Kremlin over the Soviet-era Russian bases on its soil, which Saakashvili has likened to an occupation.
Bush said he had discussed the issue with Putin, who had responded that his government was working to fulfil its obligations under an earlier agreement to close the bases. Bush's remarks were likely to disappoint Saakashvili.
The Georgian leader snubbed Moscow's lavish World War Two anniversary party on Monday — which Bush attended — in protest against Russia's failure to agree on withdrawal of its bases.
In his speech in bright sunshine at Freedom Square, Bush said Georgia's freedom struggle had inspired peoples ranging from Ukraine to Iraq and Kyrgyzstan.
(Additional reporting by Christian Lowe, Steve Holland and Niko Mchedlishvili)
Despite faulty translation, Latvian government asks for EU constitution approval AP WorldStream Tuesday, May 10, 2005 8:30:00 AM
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press
RIGA, Latvia (AP) — The Latvian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday submitted the European Union's constitution to the country's parliament for ratification, despite its Latvian translation containing hundreds of grammatical mistakes.
The government submitted the document for approval by the Parliament last January but had to withdraw it after mistakes in both the grammar and the content of the treaty were found in the Latvian translation.
Latvian Foreign Minister Artis Pabriks told the Cabinet on Tuesday that 10 important corrections had been made to clarify the document's content, but it still contained many of the more than 500 spelling and punctuation mistakes found in January.
The EU constitution may go through the first of three readings as early as Thursday. The government hopes to have it ratified by the end of May.
The parliament, or Saeima, is dominated by five center-right pro-EU parties, and is expected to vote in favor.
Putin Won't Make More Apologies for Stalin AP Online Tuesday, May 10, 2005 10:34:00 PM
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press
By MIKE ECKEL
Associated Press Writer
MOSCOW (AP) — President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Russia will make no further apologies for dictator Josef Stalin's secret World War II pact with Hitler that led to the Soviet annexation of the Baltic states, declaring it "a closed issue."
Putin said Moscow was ready to reach border agreements with Estonia and Latvia if the two countries, which gained independence after the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991, approach talks in a "mature" fashion, without "foolish preconditions."
The Red Army occupied and annexed Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in 1940 after Stalin signed the now infamous nonaggression pact with Adolf Hitler in August 1939 that freed the Nazi leader to attack Poland Sept. 1, 1939, starting the war.
Hitler eventually double-crossed Stalin and invaded Russia in June 1941, dragging the ill-prepared Russians into a war Stalin had sought to avoid by making the deal with Hitler. In the course of the war, Russia retook the Baltics and kept them as Soviet republics until the empire collapsed four and a half decades later.
At a news conference with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, Putin responded angrily to an Estonian reporter who asked what Moscow could do to make amends for its long occupation of the Baltic countries.
The Soviet legislature in 1989, Putin noted, stated that the pact with Nazi Gemany was a personal decision by Stalin that contradicted the interests of the Soviet people. He told the Estonian reporter to read the document.
"What more could be said more precisely and more clearly, what else can we say?" he said. "What, should we do it on a daily basis? ... We consider it a closed issue."
The leaders of Estonia and Lithuania stayed away from Monday's celebrations in Moscow marking the 60th anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany, irritating the Russian leader.
Putin was further angered when President Bush visited Latvia on his way to Moscow for the most important day on the Russian political calendar. In addition Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania, have become members of NATO, bringing the Western alliance to the Russian frontier.
Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga was the only Baltic leader to accept an invitation to attend the commemoration in Moscow, while the heads of Lithuania and Estonia said they could not attend because of five decades of occupation.
Putin insists the three Baltic states willingly joined the Soviet Union on the basis of the pact, but the Latvian president said Putin was "lying through his teeth."
Putin called Tuesday on Latvia's government to "stop political demagoguery and begin constructive work" on the border pacts.
Russia has repeatedly accused new European Union members Latvia and Estonia of discriminating against their large Russian-speaking minorities, and has sought EU pressure to ensure equal rights.
Two days before the May 9 celebration, Putin reiterated in the French media that Russia would not apologize again years of Soviet domination.
"I would like to underscore in this regard that such pretensions are useless," Putin said in an interview with the daily Le Figaro.
Putin told the newspaper the Supreme Soviet statement of 1989 had already made amends, giving a "judicial and moral appreciation" of the 1939 pact with Hitler.
He also said that NATO membership for the Baltic states had not necessarily improved world security.
"I don't see in what way enlarging to our Baltic neighbors, for instance, can improve the security of the world."
Putin suggested the Baltic states are using their complaints "to justify a discriminatory, reprehensible policy of governments toward a considerable part of their own Russian-speaking population."
During the EU meetings, Russia failed to secure an easing of European Union visa restrictions for its citizens, even as Putin and top European leaders unveiled a broad partnership accord in a bid to heal divisions after a difficult year marked by the EU's eastward expansion.
The cooperation agreement focused on the economic sphere, where Europe's thirst for energy and Russia's need for investment dovetail. It was the centerpiece of a Kremlin summit, held the day after a huge Victory in Europe Day celebration in Moscow.
"Our goal is to create a common European space for the benefit of our citizens. Common values as well as shared interests are at the heart of our relations," European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said. "We all want to see a democratic and prosperous Russia appealing for foreign investment, as a natural and strong partner for the EU."
In the area of external security, the accord obliges the two sides to strengthen organizations such as the United Nations and the Council of Europe. It also places emphasis on the treatment of minorities, Putin said.
Putin said Russia could not yet agree to the EU's demands on that Moscow readmit illegal Russian migrants to the European Union in return for an easing of stringent visa rules, saying it would be costly to implement and claiming such a policy could violate migrants rights.
Barroso indicated the EU would not budge, and that Moscow must agree to take back all migrants who enter the European Union from Russian territory illegally if the EU is to ease visa barriers for Russians.
"We are ready to work for visa facilitation with Russia, but we also have a common interest in fighting illegal migration," Barroso said.
Overall, Putin said, Moscow would continue to press for full abolition of visa requirements, although he acknowledged Russia must first strengthen its borders with other former Soviet republics.
Angry Latvia says Putin misled on border talks Reuters Business Report Wednesday, May 11, 2005 9:58:00 AM
Copyright 2005 Reuters Ltd.
By Patrick McLoughlin
RIGA, May 11 (Reuters) — Latvia reacted angrily on Wednesday to Russian President Vladimir Putin's accusations against the Baltics of stirring resentment towards Moscow, saying the Kremlin never intended to sign a sensitive border treaty.
Russia has for months said it was ready to sign a border treaty with Latvia — a formal document recognising the Baltic state's physical dimensions that would signal a major advancement in the fractious relations between the two nations.
But last month Moscow threatened to pull out of a May 10 signing if Latvia did not renounce claims over the tiny Arbene district annexed by Russia in 1945 and which has remained its territory ever since.
Latvia says it has made no territorial claims, but angered Russia by referring to an earlier treaty in which Moscow accepted Latvia's borders, including Arbene.
On Tuesday Putin accused the ex-Soviet Baltic states of "political demagoguery" in Moscow, souring a summit designed to improve EU-Russian relations.
The remarks were a potent reminder that resentments among Baltic countries have the potential to unsettle wider relations between Moscow and the European Union.
Putin said Moscow was ready to sign border agreements with Latvia as well as Estonia but said he hoped there would be no "idiotic ... demands of a territorial nature."
Latvia's foreign minister on Wednesday said Putin had misled them all along and never intended to sign the border treaty.
"He wanted to make as much noise as possible ... and offering to sign the border treaty was part of this show, but I don't think there were ever any real intentions to sign the border treaty," Artis Pabriks told Reuters.
Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia broke away from Moscow's rule in 1991 and last year crowned more than a decade of economic prosperity and democracy by joining the European Union and NATO.
During a visit to Latvia last week U.S. President George W. Bush — on his way to Moscow to celebrate World War Two victory celebrations on May 9 — held the Baltic states aloft as models for further democratisation in other ex-Soviet nations.
EU policy chief Javier Solana, visiting Poland, said on Wednesday he was confident the Baltic treaties would be signed.
"We have worked very hard to get Estonia and Latvia to sign border agreements. I am sure it will be possible in the coming days," Solana told Poland's public television in an interview.
Estonia's government said in a statement that Putin's remark was a "surprise." Estonia said it looked forward to signing a border agreement with Russia next week.
Russia questions journalists filming in border zone AP WorldStream Wednesday, May 11, 2005 11:46:00 AM
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press
MOSCOW (AP) — Police detained a group of Latvian television reporters earlier this week because they were filming in a border zone without a permit, a news agency reported Wednesday.
Police detained the reporters for questioning in the Pskov region, which borders Latvia and Estonia, as they were taking pictures of an international railway checkpoint on Monday, the Interfax news agency said.
The reporters were covering celebrations marking the Allied victory over the Nazis in World War II. Russia's Foreign Ministry was quoted by Interfax as saying it had issued visas to three journalists from Latvian LTV television to cover the celebrations.
"The police were guided by Russian law which requires a permit for filming anything in the five-kilometer (three-mile) border zone," local official Yury Russky was quoted by Interfax as saying. "The Latvian journalists did not have a permit."
After they were told they needed a permit, they were handed over to the border service, Interfax said. The reporters left voluntarily the same day.
The Pskov region is a border area which an Estonian ethnic group, the Setu, claim as part of their historic territory, Interfax said. The Setu, who speak their own dialect of Estonian, live in the southeastern corner of Estonia and on the Russian side of the border.
Latvian prime minister refuses to withdraw statement regarding border AP WorldStream Wednesday, May 11, 2005 12:22:00 PM
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press
By TIMOTHY JACOBS
Associated Press Writer
RIGA, Latvia (AP) — Latvian Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis said his government would not withdraw a declaration that threatens to sink recent attempts by Latvia and Russia to sign a long-awaited border treaty.
Kalvitis late Tuesday denied Moscow's allegations that the declaration makes territorial claims on Russia, and said it was necessary to ensure the treaty conforms to Latvia's constitution.
"I believe that we will continue the dialogue with Russia, sticking to this position (and) we will try to explain it," Kalvitis told LNT television.
The declaration states that Latvia does not link the border issue with any legal claims by the Baltic country over the five-decade Soviet occupation.
The Russian government last month withdrew an offer to sign a border treaty with Latvia on May 10 because the declaration referred to a border treaty signed before Soviet troops occupied Latvia in 1940.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Moscow was ready to reach border agreements with Estonia and Latvia if the two countries approach talks in a "mature" fashion, without "foolish preconditions."
Kalvitis said if the unilateral declaration is not attached to the treaty, the constitution requires a referendum to change the country's borders.
Some see the declaration as Latvia's way of ensuring the border treaty doesn't mean relinquishing rights to seek future compensation from Russia for the land it lost in 1944 or for the more than 60,000 Latvians deported to gulags during Soviet occupation, which ended in 1991.
Latvia and neighboring Estonia have for years signaled their willingness to sign border treaties with Russia recognizing the existing borders and ceding disputed regions.
But Moscow has delayed, tying the border agreements to other issues like the perceived mistreatment by Baltic countries of their large ethnic-Russian minorities.
Russia agreed last week to sign a border treaty with Estonia on May 18.
Kalvitis said he couldn't understand Russia's strong objections to the Latvian declaration, as it was made unilaterally and would therefore not be legally binding.
"It is difficult to say why it has annoyed Russia so much," he said. "In my opinion, Russia is using the issue as an argument to escalate the Baltic-Russian relations."
Georgian parliament speaker heads to Latvia AP WorldStream Thursday, May 12, 2005 4:46:00 AM
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press
TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Georgian Parliament Speaker Nino Burdzhanadze departed Thursday for a trip to Latvia that is expected to focus on Latvia's experience in bringing the ex-Soviet republic into NATO and the European Union.
Georgia also has long-term ambitions to join those structures as it tries to wrest itself out of Russia's influence.
Burdzhanadze is to meet with Latvia's President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, Parliament Speaker Ingrida Odre, Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis, Foreign Minister Artis Pabriks, and Defense Minister Einars Repse.
"Latvia already has shown Georgia assistance in integration into European structures," Burdzhanadze said before departing.
Latvian parliament denounces Soviet rule, "crimes" Reuters North America Thursday, May 12, 2005 4:48:00 PM
Copyright 2005 Reuters Ltd.
By Patrick McLoughlin
RIGA, May 12 (Reuters) — The Latvian parliament passed a declaration on Thursday denouncing the five-decade Soviet rule of Latvia and calling for the repatriation of former Soviet army officers — words likely to spark an angry reaction from Moscow.
The declaration, passed by the parliament or Saeima by 70 votes to 23, condemned all those responsible for crimes committed during Soviet rule, which ended when the Baltic state won independence in 1991.
"The Soviet Union occupied and annexed the Republic of Latrvia, destroyed its state system, killed, tortured and deported hundreds of thousands of people..." it said.
President George W. Bush, in Latvia last week on his way to Moscow for ceremonies marking victory in World War Two, called Latvia and its neighbours Lithuania and Estonia friends of the United States who had suffered from the post-1945 Soviet occupation.
Latvia, like the other Baltic states, has argued that while Russia celebrates the fall of Nazi Germany, it has failed to acknowledge that 1945 also saw the repressive communist occupation of the Baltic states and eastern Europe.
"Crimes committed by the totalitarian regime of the Soviet Union are part of crimes committed by totalitarian regimes which have no amnesty," the Saeima declaration said.
"Those people in favour of the Nazi totalitarian regime were brought to court and convicted, but Soviet totalitarian communist regime crimes were not investigated and haven't received international condemnation," it added.
The declaration also called for the voluntary repatriation to Russia of retired former Soviet army officers still living in Latvia, estimated to number about 2,000 though the government has given no figure.
Latvian Integration Affairs Minister Ainars Latkovskis told Reuters the declaration was not binding on the government, but Russia was bound to react angrily and this could strain its ties with the European Union, which Latvia joined last year.
On Tuesday Russian President Vladimir Putin angrily accused the Baltic states of stirring up historic resentment towards Moscow, souring a summit designed to cement better relations between Brussels and Moscow.
"Russia will react negatively. I don't see any other way they can react," Latkovskis said. "Moscow will ask Brussels to quieten Latvia down."
He said the drive to repatriate former officers did not discriminate against the ethnic Russian minority in Latvia, about 30 percent of the 2.37 million population.
Russia has repeatedly said that Latvian school reforms, which have reduced the number of Russian language lessons, are discriminatory, as are citizenship qualification rules which require Latvian history and language tests.
Latvian Foreign Minister Artis Pabriks told Reuters the repatriation of retired officers would be purely voluntary.
"It will be on a voluntary basis. We will not go to people's houses and kick them out," he said.
Minister says Latvia won't seek land compensation for land annexed to Russia AP WorldStream Friday, May 13, 2005 8:53:00 AM
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press
By TIMOTHY JACOBS
Associated Press Writer
RIGA, Latvia (AP) — Latvia will not seek to reclaim any of the land redistributed to Russia during the Soviet occupation and will not seek compensation for it, the Latvian foreign minister said.
Foreign Minister Artis Pabriks told The Associated Press that the Latvian state would not seek restitution for a 1,300-square-kilometer (808-square-mile) tract surrounding the Russian town of Pytalovo that belonged to Latvia until 1944, when the Soviets redistributed it to Russia.
"There are no territorial claims," he said. "We will not ask for compensation for this territory or for the territory itself."
Pabriks said individuals could seek compensation for losses incurred during the nearly five-decade-long Soviet occupation of the country, but "that is up to them."
Russia pulled back from agreeing to sign a long-awaited border treaty with Latvia in May, after the Latvian parliament last month issued a declaration that Russia felt made territorial claims.
Pabriks said the declaration was necessary because, without it, the border treaty would need to be approved in a referendum.
Pabriks also said the government did not support another declaration Thursday by the Parliament that called for a commission to tally up the Soviet-era losses Latvia and for the state to press charges for restitution.
"This is not a law, but a parliamentary declaration," Pabriks said. "This has no backing from the government."
Seventy-seven of the Saeima's 100 lawmakers voted in favor of Thursday's declaration, which also called on Russia to repatriate thousands of Red Army officers to Russia.
"The Soviet Union occupied and annexed the Republic of Latvia, destroyed its state system, killed, tortured and deported hundreds of thousands of people, robbed them of their property without any legal reason ... persecuted people for their political views, religious belief and national origin, tried to demolish and Russify Latvia's national culture by sending to Latvia hundreds of thousands of Soviet Union residents," the declaration said.
When asked if he thought any of Latvia's allies in the European Union or NATO would support the declaration, Pabriks said he did not.
The foreign minister said the government was drafting a response to the declaration that would likely be released later Friday or on Monday.
Latvian Constitutional Court upholds divisive school language law AP WorldStream Friday, May 13, 2005 10:35:00 AM
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press
By TIMOTHY JACOBS
Associated Press Writer
RIGA, Latvia (AP) — The Latvian Constitutional Court on Friday upheld a divisive school reform measure requiring at least 60 percent of classes in public schools, including institutions catering to Russian-speakers, be taught in Latvian.
The court ruled that the law, which went into effect in September, neither violated students' rights to an education nor infringed on their rights as ethnic minorities.
The education reform sparked a series of protests by Russian-speaking students and their parents last year, the largest of which drew nearly 30,000 people.
Boris Cilevics, an ethnic Russian lawmaker and a plaintiff in the case, said he was unhappy the court didn't overturn the decision but not surprised.
"Obviously, we're not happy about some conclusions that the court made, but it's evident that for the first time, the legal question over the reform has been examined without all the politics usually tied to it," he said.
He said school reform opponents would discuss the ruling before opting whether to take their case to the European Court of Human Rights.
Partly to counterbalance the imposed dominance of Russian in many areas during decades of rule by Moscow, the Baltic state declared Latvian the sole official language after it regained independence amid the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
That decision, and other steps taken to entrench Latvian, has angered Latvia's Russian-speakers, who make up more than a third of Latvia's 2.3 million residents.
Russians call the requirements discriminatory and an attack on their way of life, charges echoed by Moscow. Latvians counter that they are meant to help integrate minorities, adding that those who don't learn Latvian will find it hard to secure good jobs.
The Kremlin has accused Latvia of violating the rights of minorities, while Latvia, in turn, claims Russia is manipulating the issue in a bid to spoil Latvia's image abroad.
The EU has said Latvian language laws conform to European minority rights standards.
Latvia-Russia border treaty mired in disputes AP WorldStream Friday, May 13, 2005 11:14:00 AM
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press
By TIMOTHY JACOBS
Associated Press Writer
VILAKA, Latvia (AP) — Looking out over the quiet wooden farm houses, grazing cows and plowed fields on either side of the Latvia-Russia border, it's hard to imagine this is the heart of a furious dispute between Russia and Latvia.
But bitterness in the Baltics over the Soviet occupation and claims by Moscow that Latvia is mistreating its Russian minority have delayed the signing of a long-awaited border treaty that would finally settle EU and NATO newcomer Latvia's frontier with Russia.
The land itself is not in question — Latvia is happy to leave the border posts where they stand. But both sides have linked the treaty to other issues, souring relations.
For Latvia, which gained independence from Russia in 1991, formalizing the border holds great symbolic importance.
"A border treaty will finalize the legal aspects of our regained independence and I think this is necessary for every country," said Col. Vladislav Skromans, chief of the border guard service in Vilaka on the Latvian side of the demarcation line.
Russia signed a border treaty with Lithuania in 2003, but held up signing similar treaties with Estonia and Latvia partly over concerns about alleged discrimination against their large Russian-speaking minorities. For its part, Latvia insists that Moscow apologize for the nearly five decade Soviet occupation.
The occupation issue flared over the recent VE Day commemorations, with the leaders of Estonia and Lithuania boycotting celebrations Monday in Moscow and U.S. President George W. Bush supporting the Baltic view of the annexation during a stop in Latvia ahead of the event.
Vaira Vike-Freiberga accepted Moscow's invitation, saying she wanted to "extend the hand of friendship" while not overlooking the Soviet occupation.
Russian-speakers make up around a third of the population in the two small states, which were settled by Russians when Latvia and Estonia were Soviet republics. Moscow routinely accuses Latvia and Estonia of discriminating against their large Russian-speaking minorities through education, employment, voting and citizenship rules.
Moscow recently dropped its demand to link border treaties with minority rights and is set to finalize a border treaty with Estonia on Wednesday. But a declaration in late April by the Latvian government about compensation for the harsh Soviet occupation angered Russia and threatens to leave Latvia as the last EU and NATO country bordering Russia without a treaty.
Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week called on Latvia's government to "stop political demagoguery and begin constructive work."
The declaration states that by signing a new treaty with Russia, Latvia and its citizens are not renouncing their right to seek future compensation in international court for losses incurred during the Soviet occupation.
But Russia has never acknowledged the Soviet occupation of the Baltics. In Moscow's view, the Baltics invited the Red Army into the region and joined the Soviet bloc willingly.
"What occupation are they all chattering about?" asked a Russian grocery store manager in Riga who identified himself only as Anatoly. "Soviet soldiers were greeted with flowers and songs. If it weren't for the Soviets, then the Nazis would be here."
Further straining relations, the Latvian parliament issued a second declaration on Thursday calling on Russia to recognize the Soviet occupation, asking Russia to repatriate thousands of ex-Red Army officers and establishing a commission to tally the damages incurred as a result of the occupation.
"The Soviet Union occupied and annexed the Republic of Latvia, destroyed its state system, killed, tortured and deported hundreds of thousands of people, robbed them of their property without any legal reason," the declaration said.
Foreign Minister Artis Pabriks said Friday the government did not support that declaration, and added Latvia has "no territorial claims" on land lost to Russia during the Soviet era.
Skromans, the Vilaka border guard chief, said little would change with a signed border treaty, as his service has cooperated closely with Russian services to stem the flow of illegal immigrants and goods along the 276 kilometer (172-mile) long Latvia-Russia border since 1991.
Still, Latvia expects the number of people trying to enter the country illegally to increase as Latvia, currently the EU's fastest-growing economy, draws closer in living standards to Western Europe.
The residents of Vilaka, some of whom lost property across the border when the wire fences went up between Latvia and Russia in 1991, say they have no hope — or interest — of ever regaining their property.
"We don't need that land anymore. There's no use for it," said Vitalijs Jeromans, 67, a retired truck driver who has lived his entire life in Vilaka. "Nobody even talks about it anymore. All the old people who talked about that place have died out and the younger generation wants nothing to do with it."
OSCE commissioner visits Russia for talks on ethnic minorities AP WorldStream Monday, May 16, 2005 2:20:00 AM
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press
MOSCOW (AP) — A top official of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe was to arrive in Moscow on Monday for three days of talks on ethnic minorities.
Rolf Ekeus, the OSCE's high commissioner for minorities, told the Izvestia daily that he intended to discuss the situation of the Meskhetian Turks, who live in Russia's south, and Moscow's views on ethnic minorities in formerly Soviet Central Asia.
About 20,000 Meskhetian Turks, whose origins are in the Central Asian country of Uzbekistan, live in legal limbo in Krasnodar and surrounding regions in southern Russia. They are unable to get official residence permission or to rent land — the result of strict anti-immigrant regulations that regional authorities have imposed.
The regulations have been popular in Krasnodar, where ultranationalist Cossacks work alongside police to keep order and many resent the influx of immigrants fleeing poverty in Central Asia and the Caucasus.
Some members of the minority have received political asylum in the United States.
In response to a question from Izvestia, Ekeus said that the former Soviet republics in the Baltics had made "considerable progress" in respecting the rights of their large Russian minorities. Moscow has assailed Latvia and Estonia for citizenship and language education laws that allegedly discriminate against Russian-speakers.
Nordic women closest to parity with men [U.S. lags all three Baltic States] Reuters Business Report Monday, May 16, 2005 5:30:00 AM
Copyright 2005 Reuters Ltd.
By Jeremy Lovell
LONDON, May 16 (Reuters) — Nordic women are the closest to reaching socioeconomic parity with men while their Egyptian sisters are the furthest, according to a 58-nation survey published on Monday.
But no country has managed to close the gap completely, said the Swiss-based World Economic Forum think-tank.
"Even in the light of heightened international awareness of gender issues, it is a disturbing reality that no country has yet managed to eliminate the gender gap," said the survey covering all 30 OECD countries and 28 other emerging markets.
Rating economic participation, economic opportunity, political empowerment, educational attainment and health and wellbeing, the report said Swedish women faced the smallest gender gap, followed by Norway, Iceland, Denmark and Finland.
"Women in these countries have access to a wider spectrum of educational, political and work opportunities and enjoy a higher standard of living than women in other parts of the world," it said, citing the Nordic five as role models for the world.
"Our aim is essentially to allow countries to identify their strengths and weaknesses in an area of critical importance for the development process and to provide opportunities for countries to learn from the experiences of others," it added.
New Zealand came sixth on the list, followed by Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany and Australia in 10th position.
The United States came in at 17th behind European Union newcomers Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
"Achieving gender equality ... is a grindingly slow process since it challenges one of the most deeply entrenched of all human attitudes," the report said.
It cited as an example paid maternity leave where the majority of countries offered paid time off — often on either half or full salary.
"Interestingly the United States offers women 12 weeks, but with no pay whatsoever, putting it in league with Lesotho, Swaziland and Papua New Guinea," the report said.
Bulgaria came in exactly half way down the list, with Russia in 31st place, Zimbabwe in 42nd, Greece on 50th and Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt bring up the rear.
And while globalisation of world trade had given some people real opportunities to reach international markets amd get rich, the equation did not work for everyone.
"It has at times intensified existing inequalities and insecurities for many poor women who already represent two-thirds of the world's poorest people," the report said.
"The term 'feminization of poverty' is often used to illustrate the fact that the majority of the 1.5 billion people living on $1 a day or less are women and that the gap between women and men caught in the cycle of poverty has not lessened but may well have widened in the past decade," it added.
It noted that women made up two-thirds of the world's illiterate population and that 20 million of the 46 million abortions carried out each year were unsafe, resulting in chronic complications and — for 80,000 women — death.
Russia signs border deal with Estonia Reuters World Report Wednesday, May 18, 2005 10:56:00 AM
Copyright 2005 Reuters Ltd.
MOSCOW, May 18 (Reuters) — Russia and Estonia formally recognised each others' borders on Wednesday, 14 years after Tallinn won independence from its Soviet rulers.
But Moscow used the occasion to remind fellow Baltic neighbour Latvia that they would not reach agreement until the new European Union member renounced what President Vladimir Putin has called "idiotic" territorial claims.
A deal between Riga and Moscow would not only signal a major advancement in relations strained by mutual allegations of oppression and extremism, but would finally give Russia an official border with the European Union.
"Before the signing of this agreement, our Estonian colleagues assured us they had no unilateral interpretations of the border line," said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after the signing ceremony.
"This is in distinction, as you know, to our Latvian neighbours."
The newly agreed Estonia-Russia border largely follows the Soviet-era boundary between the two countries, but an agreement with Latvia is complicated by the tiny Arbene region which was annexed by Russia in 1945.
Russia accuses Latvia of claiming the region, while Latvia says it has no demand over it but has merely referred to it in the past.
Latvian Parliament votes in favor of EU Constitution AP WorldStream Thursday, May 19, 2005 5:53:00 AM
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press
RIGA, Latvia (AP) — The Latvian Parliament voted strongly in favor of the new European Union constitution at its first reading on Thursday.
Eighty-two lawmakers in the 100-seat Saeima, or parliament, voted to adopt the constitution. One voted against, and 12 abstained. Five lawmakers were absent.
The Saeima expects to ratify the constitution after a final reading on May 27, ahead of a tightly contested referendum on the constitution in France.
The Saeima delayed a ratification vote in January after finding hundreds of mistakes in the Latvian translation of the document. Errors that obscured the meaning of the constitution have since been corrected, but the document still contains grammatical errors.
Latvia, a former Soviet republic of 2.3 million residents, was one of 10 countries to join the EU last year.
EU fails again to break deep deadlock on genetically modified food Reuters World Report Thursday, May 19, 2005 12:17:00 PM
Copyright 2005 Reuters Ltd.
By Jeremy Smith
BRUSSELS, May 19 (Reuters) — The European Union again revealed its deep divisions over biotech foods on Thursday as national experts failed to agree on two separate requests to import genetically modified (GMO) maize, officials said.
The two votes were the 11th and 12th consecutive occasions that the EU's 25 states, represented by environment and food safety experts, were deadlocked over a new GMO authorisation.
Despite last year's lifting of an effective biotech moratorium by a legal default procedure, EU countries have not managed to agree by themselves on a GMO approval since 1998.
Both requests will now be considered by EU ministers who have three months to decide whether to permit imports or not.
The first maize, known by its code number 1507, is jointly made by Pioneer Hi-Bred International, a subsidiary of DuPont Co. , and Dow AgroSciences unit Mycogen Seeds. The application was for import and processing for animal feed use.
EU sources said environment experts from Belgium, Britain, Estonia, Finland, France, Sweden, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands voted in favour of the insect-resistant maize.
Austria, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Poland were against. The rest abstained.
"1507 maize has successfully completed the rigorous safety assessment required by EU legislation and brings real benefits to the environment, consumers and the agricultural chain," said Mike Hall, European Communications Manager at Pioneer Hi-Bred.
"It is heartening that so many member states voted to approve 1507 maize for import and animal feed use in the EU."
In Europe, consumers have been far more reluctant than in the U.S. to accept GMO products, often dubbed as "Frankenstein foods", while manufacturers of GMO foods insist they are safe.
NO MAJORITY
This week's second GMO vote was for a maize manufactured by U.S. biotech giant Monsanto and known as MON 863. The company had requested EU approval to import the maize for use as an ingredient in processed foods and derived food products.
"There was no qualified majority," an EU official told Reuters, referring to the EU's weighted voting system. "It (dossier) goes back to the European Commission and I expect it will be ready to go to the Council (of EU ministers) in June."
The voting breakdown for Monsanto's maize was different: Belgium, Britain, Germany, Finland, France, Ireland, Poland, Sweden, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands were in favour.
Austria, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta and Portugal were opposed; Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia and Spain abstained. Cyprus was absent.
MON 863 maize is engineered to provide maize plants with protection against certain insects, particularly corn rootworm.
More controversially, Pioneer/Mycogen have also submitted a separate request for its 1507 maize to be grown on EU territory and a vote on this is now likely to be held in September. It will be very closely watched since this will be the EU's first attempt to approve a "live" GMO for planting since 1998.
Only a handful of GMOs may be cultivated in the European Union at present, mostly maize types. These are usually modified to resist insects and other field pests, as well as herbicides.
Russia slams European lawmakers for criticism of its treatment of ethnic minority AP WorldStream Friday, May 20, 2005 9:47:00 AM
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia on Friday slammed a resolution passed by European lawmakers that criticized the treatment of an ethnic minority in central Russia.
The Foreign Ministry denied that the Mari, who speak a Finno-Ugric language and account for just under half of the population in the autonomous republic of Mari El, suffer discrimination.
The European Parliament passed a nonbinding resolution May 12 that deplored what it described as a lack of equal rights for Mari language and culture in the small territory west of the Ural Mountains, where Russians are the largest ethnic group.
In a statement, the ministry accused the European Union's assembly of a "groundless and speculative political campaign" aimed at distracting attention from discrimination against the large ethnic Russian minorities in the Baltic states of Latvia and Estonia.
The resolution — proposed by Baltic, Hungarian and Finnish lawmakers — also alleged human rights violations in the republic, saying independent journalists suffered harassment and assaults and accusing the regional government of intimidating dissenting public officials.
The Russian statement said the initiative was "counterproductive, against the interests of the Mari ethnic minority and the Finno-Ugric peoples in general and moreover it will not help to develop Russian-EU relations."
Russia has repeatedly expressed anger at what it says are anti-Russian initiatives raised by new EU members from the former Soviet Union or Warsaw Pact.
Finland accuses Russian military jets of violating airspace AP WorldStream Thursday, May 19, 2005 3:17:00 PM
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press
By MATTI HUUHTANEN
Associated Press Writer
HELSINKI, Finland (AP) — Russian military aircraft have repeatedly violated Finnish air space during the past few months, despite demands to Russian officials to end the violations, the government said Thursday.
Finland's Foreign Ministry confirmed the violations in a brief statement after a report by Finnish commercial MTV3 on Thursday evening.
"Yes, we confirm it. And although we have approached Russian officials, the violations simply have continued," Foreign Ministry spokesman Yrjo Lansipuro said, but would not comment on the seriousness of the violations.
The violations allegedly took place in Finnish air space over the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea, as the fighter jets had been flying to and from the Russian military enclave of Kaliningrad, sandwiched between Lithuania and Poland, Lansipuro said. They were seen and identified by Finnish air force fighter crews and were picked up on radar screens, he said.
The president and government have discussed the violations and plan to take the matter up at a political level with Moscow, Lansipuro said, but did not provide details. Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen is expected in the Kremlin on a scheduled visit early next month.
Similar alleged violations by Russian planes have been reported in the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. In November, the Estonian government filed an official complaint with Moscow, but said none was serious enough to merit intervention by the four NATO fighters that patrol the Baltics' air space.
Neutral Finland, which patrols the 1,270-kilometer (790-mile) border with Russia, has been wary of its eastern neighbor with which it fought two wars during 1939 to 1944. No violations by Russian jets have been reported over that land border.
 
  Picture Album

From Peters' trip in October, 2004, the arch leading into Viestura Darzs (Garden), a park flanking the Riga port, north of the center of Riga.

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