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Sveiki, all!

How quickly the seasons change! It seems like only a few weeks ago that we were in Latvia -- it was cold and gray, with snowy patches everywhere. Now, we're already thinking about our summer trip! Hopefully, some of us will run into each other in July!

In this week's news:

  • Duma's foreign policy committee chairman says EU should take Russian interests into account when expanding, critical of Baltics (well, if the Soviets hadn't annexed Koenigsburg and renamed it Kalingrad, there wouldn't be an issue of a "part of Russia" being cut off from the rest, now would there?)
  • Russia lifts most of its meat import ban (Latvia OK; Britain, France, and others still banned)
  • Putin writes to Vike-Freiberga that Russian-Latvian relations need serious improvement; basically says if Latvia changes its position on issues, relations can improve
  • Moscow protests a Latvian school essay contest about Russian colonialism in Latvia (some topics are perfectly valid--some are probably less realistic, given that Russian "colonists" "returning" to Russia are derided as "Latvians")
  • Latvia votes with majority in Geneva criticizing Russia on its human rights record in Chechnya (personally, we're predicting a repeat of the "but what about Latvian oppression of Russians?" Russian retort)--some of the "old ties" are still alive (India, China, Cuba and Libya back Russia)

This week's link is to one person's labor of love, building information on genealogy research.

This week's picture is from "just a few week's ago"--or it seems that way--of a snowy Latvia.

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: 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 Peters

  Latvian Link

It's only a start, but Val Stils has been working on a genealogy "Hunting Hints" page, at:

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~skydives/gentips/1.htm

  News


EU expansion should factor in Russian interests
COMTEX Newswire
Monday, April 16, 2001 9:22:00 AM
Copyright 2001 ITAR-TASS

    MOSCOW, Apr 16, 2001 (Itar-Tass via COMTEX) -- Chairman of the Russian State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee Dmitry Rogozin said attending committee-organised parliamentary hearings on Monday that the European Union should not ignore Russian interests by its plans to admit new members.
    Rogozin noted that despite a developed infrastructure and active and regular contacts between Russian and EU representatives, the situation was far from being cloudless. He clarified that the EU position towards Russia was tough on key issues. Its assessment of the situation in Chechnya has been excessively straight and lacks understanding for the subtlties and delicacies of the matter, Rogozin stressed.
    He also criticized the EU for its double standard policy towards the Baltic states. Rogozin thinks that there are no signs for improving the freedom of movement for the residents of Russia's westernmost Kaliningrad region. The idea of creation a free trade zone is also a muddle.
    The head of the Duma Foreign Affairs Committee believes that Russia needs to restructure its relations with EU under these circumstances. First, one has to think about the consequences the EU expansion will have for Russia and for Europe. Rogozin stressed that a visa policy pursued by the European Union -that will soon admit Lithuania, Latvia and Poland as its members -- as well as quotas and other restrictions were particularly destructive. "Citizens, goods and capitals, including transit freights, should be able to move unhinded", he stressed.
    Finding a positive solution to these problems will test the EU true intention to build trust in its relations with Russia, Rogozin said.

RUSSIAN VETERINARY SERVICE ABOLISHED THE BAN ON MEAT
COMTEX Newswire
Monday, April 16, 2001 9:34:00 AM
Copyright (C) 2001, A&G Information Services

    ST.PETERSBURG, RUSSIA, APR 16, 2001 (A&G News via COMTEX) -- The service abolished the ban on the import of meat, milk, fish, bird meat, eggs, etc. from Norway, Iceland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Rumania, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. The import of veterinary medicines is permitted from all countries, except Great Britain, Netherlands, France and Ireland.
    URL: http://www.aginform.com

Russian president: Relations with Latvia need "serious improvement"
AP WorldStream
Thursday, April 19, 2001 8:49:00 AM
Copyright 2001 The Associated Press

    MOSCOW (AP) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a letter to his Latvian counterpart Vaira Vike-Freiberga, saying their countries' relations "need serious improvement," Russia's presidential press service said Thursday.
    Putin's letter was in answer to a message that Vike-Freiberga sent to Moscow in March, the statement said.
    Russia and Latvia have sparred over the rights of ethnic Russians in Latvia and Russian requests to ease the export of Russian goods through the Baltic country's ports. In his letter, Putin said the two countries had "far from exhausted the potential" of their bilateral relations.
    He also pointed out that many disputes remained unsolved, including a Russian request for visa-free travel across Latvian territory. The transit route is important as it is one way to reach Russia's Kaliningrad enclave from the rest of the country.
    "A cardinal change in positions on questions worrying Russia and our compatriots in Latvia will become a powerful signal to start developing and deepening our relations," Putin said in the letter.

Moscow protests against anti-Russian conduct of Vieda
COMTEX Newswire Friday, April 20, 2001 3:47:00 PM
Copyright (c) 2001 ITAR-TASS

    MOSCOW, Apr 20, 2001 (Itar-Tass via COMTEX) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry has launched a protest against the anti-Russian conduct of the Vieda Latvian publishing house.
    The publishing house has recently announced a contest for schoolchildren and college students, says a press release of the ministry obtained by Itar-Tass on Friday.
    The youngsters were offered to write a composition on one of the following subjects: "Why Representatives of the Russian Press Aren't Expelled from Latvia for Stirring Up Inter-Ethnic Discord?", ""Why the Colonists Should Leave the Land of Latvians for the Sake of Prevention of Inter-Ethnic Conflicts?" and "God's Justice or Latvia's Liberation from 700,000 Colonists as No 1 Task."
    Judging by the reply to an inquiry of the chief of the Bureau for Protection of the Latvian Constitution, the Latvian authorities see nothing wrong about the subjects, the press release says. "It is absolutely clear to all reasonable people that such contests undermine the already difficult inter-ethnic relations in Latvia and encourage extremist forces that wish to raise the young in the spirit of national chauvinism," the press release runs.

Geneva resolution critical of Russia action in Chechnya
COMTEX Newswire
Saturday, April 21, 2001 7:47:00 AM

    GENEVA, Apr 21, 2001 (Itar-Tass via COMTEX) -- India, China, Cuba and Lybia backed Russia's position on the Chechnya issue at the 57th annual session of the UN Commission on Human Rights working in Geneva.
    Representatives of these countries in their addresses to the session on Friday rejected the anti-Russian draft resolution which was proposed by the European Union and backed by the US. The resolution, which presents the action of federal forces in Chechnya in a wrong light, was passed by 22 of 53 state members of the commission.
    Twelve countries, including Russia, India, China, Cuba, Lybia, Nigeria, Vietnam and Venezuela, voted against it. Nineteen countries abstained. A simple majority of votes for enough for the resolution to pass.
    India's representative called Chechnya's developments a manifestation of international terrorism.
    New Delhi is of the opinion that only Russia is in position to determine steps it should make to protect the constitutional order and its territorial integrity, he said.
    The Indian diplomat said the draft resolution on Chechnya motioned by Western states was not balanced and did not reflect the real state of affairs. India does not think the resolution would help the peace process, he said.
    "The Chechnya issue is an internal affair of Russia," China's representative said at the session.
    China was always opposed to terrorism in its any forms, religious extremism and ethnic separatism," he said.
    China "understands and supports the efforts of the Russian government to maintain national unity, territorial integrity and social stability," the Chinese delegate said.
    Beijing believes the Russian government is able to resolve the Chechnya problem in a proper form, and no country must interfere in this process, he said.
    The Chinese and Cuban representatives criticised the US' obstructionist role. The US delegation wrecked the session's passing a balanced, consensus statement on Chechnya, the wording of which had been agreed by Russia and the European Union in Geneva.
    The Cuban delegate said the US delegation thinks it has a "monopoly for the truth" and seeks to use the UN Commission on Human Rights "in its political interests".
    Apart from European Union and NATO countries, Latvia, Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Mexico, South Africa, Guatemala and Mauritius voted for the anti-Russian resolution.
    Japan, South Korea, Algeria, Syria and several Latin American, Asian and African countries abstained during the voting.

  Picture Album

Inside, we were celebrating my Peters' aunt Erna's 100th birthday--but outside, it was much less warm and toasty!! This week's picture is from this past March.

Winter in Vecaki
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