Border proposal to be presented to Latvian parliament on Thursday; three readings to follow


dpa German Press Agency
Published: Wednesday January 24, 2007

Riga- The Latvian parliament is to begin viewing on Thursday proposals for a border treaty with Russia amidst bitter debate over the issue of compensation for annexed territory. "This treaty ... means the voluntary surrender of a stolen part of Latvia's territory," nationalist party For Fatherland and Freedom - a member of the current government - said in a press release.

"As a result, it would strip that territory's inhabitants of the right to compensation from the state which violently deprived them of their property," it continued.

The issue of Latvia's border with Russia has been a controversial one ever since the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991. The border is clearly marked on the ground, but is not covered by treaty - even though it is now the eastern frontier of the EU and NATO.

The roots of the problem lie in the two states' common history. The Republic of Latvia was founded in 1918, while its border with Russia was defined in a 1920 peace treaty.

In 1940, Soviet forces occupied Latvia and installed a puppet government which took Latvia into the USSR. The Soviet occupation was never recognized as legitimate in the West.

At the end of World War II, the puppet government transferred the eastern Latvian town of Abrene to Russia. This breached the 1920 treaty, which placed the Latvian-Russian border to the east of the town.

When the USSR collapsed in 1991, Latvian politicians declared the occupation illegal and proclaimed the restoration of the republic of 1918 - a principle known as "legal continuity."

But the restored state's physical border still ran to the west of Abrene. Latvia has never demanded the return of the territory, but some politicians have called for compensation from Moscow - a demand which the proposed border treaty would effectively silence.

"If the de facto border is signed in its current version, we would, in effect, give up our rights to the Abrene area, including the right to compensation," said Krisjanis Karins of centre-right party New Era - one of the parties opposed to the current proposal.

The government, however, believes that Latvia now has a "great chance" to regularize its relations with Russia - a chance that should not be jeopardized by "unrealistic" calls for compensation.

"Yes, we lost territory, but let's be realistic: we can't get it back ... It would be ridiculous to say, 'We're not ready to sign the treaty, because we want to ask for compensation,'" Foreign Minister Artis Pabriks told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

"It's better for our future relations with Russia to do what we're doing," he added.

Indeed, Latvia and Russia came close to signing the treaty two years ago. However, shortly before the signature was due, Latvia appended an "explanatory preface" to the document, in which it referred to the 1920 treaty.

Latvian officials said that this was necessary to ensure that the state's legal continuity could not be challenged.

But Russia responded with outrage, refusing to sign and accusing Latvia of harbouring "territorial claims."

This January the Latvian government proposed a compromise, omitting the preface but asking parliament to give it a mandate to sign the treaty on the basis of a series of legal documents which it claims establish the state's legal continuity beyond doubt.

The compromise, which received a cautious welcome from Russian and western diplomats, is scheduled to be presented to parliament on Thursday. It is then expected to face three debates before it can be accepted.

But with even some lawmakers from government parties opposed to the idea of "abandoning" the Abrene question, the issue of compensation looks set to trouble the border for some time to come.

© 2006 dpa German Press Agency