Main focus of Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Latvia signs border treaty with Russia

Following ten years of dispute, Latvia and Russia have finally agreed on a border treaty. Like Estonia, Latvia was forced to cede territory to Russia after the Second World War. A first attempt to reach a compromise in 1997 failed owing to opposition in both countries. The EU has repeatedly urged the signing of a border treaty .

Neatkarīgā - Latvia

The border treaty is a success for the government led by Aigars Kalvitis, writes Anita Daukste. Nonetheless, the fact that the town of Pytalovo (Latvian: Abrene) will now pass into Russian hands, she sees as a problem. Latvia's first attempt to reach a border treaty with Russia in 1997 failed because the country refused to cede the town to Russia. "Now we can breathe a sigh of relief because the border treaty problem has been solved. For years several governments tried to reach an agreement, and it took a lot of compromises to do it but now the step has been irrevocably taken. The loss of Abrene is a symbolic rather than a practical or physical issue. But symbolic issues often generate the most emotion, and here, too, this the case." (28/03/2007)

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Postimees - Estonia

Now that Latvia has signed a border treaty with Russia, Estonia is the only one of the three Baltic states that has yet to do so, the newspaper notes. "Yet Estonia has much in common with Latvia. Both became independent following the collapse of the Russian Empire; both were reoccupied in 1940 and both lost part of their territory to Russia after the war. But whose fault is it that Estonia is the only Baltic state that hasn't yet signed a border treaty? Is it really just Moscow, which continues to insist that Estonia willingly joined the Soviet Union and is ignoring the Treaty of Tartu? The Latvians were under greater pressure than we were, yet they still ratified the treaty. This is because they know that it won't really affect their everyday life but it will put them in a better position as far as foreign policy is concerned. It's difficult to say when Tallinn will finally comprehend this." (28/03/2007)

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Le Soir - Belgium

Antoine Jacob, correspondent in Riga, explains why the border problem between Russia and the Baltic States is difficult to resolve. "Moscow reproached the Balts for being the first to leave the URSS. Their desire to be part of the EU and NATO was perceived as a potentially contagious example in the Russian sphere of influence. … The border negotiations have been complicated by a legal disagreement. Latvians and Estonians would like their state to be recognised in line with the border treaties signed in 1920 with the USSR. For Moscow, that would mean implicitly recognising the occupation of these countries, which it refuses to do for fear that it would lead to with issues of financial compensation and retrocession of pieces of territory. Latvians have finally given up on it. For them, it's better to take advantage of the current thaw than to postpone the border problem after Putin. Who knows if the future Russian president will be as well disposed? On the other hand, Estonia has stuck to its position." (28/03/2007)

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