Wednesday, June 20, 2001

Latvia feels NATO is just a step away Berzins dismisses Russian fears over Baltics expansion By Michael Mainville Latvian Prime Minister Andris Berzins is convinced NATO will disregard Russian fears over expansion into the Baltics and invite his country to join the military alliance in 2002. "We strongly believe that at the Prague summit next year, Latvia will be invited for full NATO membership," he said on a recent visit to Prague, adding later that he was "100 percent" certain that such an invitation would be extended. Berzins' comments came during a June 20 roundtable discussion with journalists at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The same day, NATO leaders gathered in Brussels to confirm they will accept new members at the November 2002 summit. The leaders did not say which of the membership candidates -- they include the Baltic states, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Slovenia -- will be asked into the 19-member alliance. The Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary joined NATO in 1999. They were the first former communist states to do so. But Berzins' confidence -- further supported by U.S. President George W. Bush's June 15 assertion that NATO enlargement was a question of "when," not if -- belied the many obstacles facing Latvia and its Baltic neighbors, Lithuania and Estonia. Most prominent among them is Russia's strenuous opposition to the presence of NATO nations on its doorstep. Moscow officials have said the inclusion of the Baltic states would threaten Russia's security and produce an unspecified reaction. But Berzins is convinced that NATO will not allow Russian fears to stall expansion. President Vaclav Havel has been especially outspoken in his disregard for Russian concerns in repeatedly recommending that NATO embrace the Baltics. "My position is, and I've heard this from present NATO member countries, that no country has a veto [on expansion]," Berzins said. "Of course, it's true that the Baltic countries ... are not the same size players as Russia in the international political arena. But I think if we keep our efforts together, if we [maintain] the principles of democracy, we will get support from the present member states." Republic of Latvia Population: 2.4 million Area: 64,200 square kilometers (39,800 square miles) Ethnic groups: Latvian (57 percent), Russian (30 percent), other (13 percent) Capital: Riga Berzins said Latvia has made significant steps in meeting the requirements of its membership action plan. He said, for example, that the country has brought its language and citizenship legislation -- which had been criticized for discriminating against the country's sizable Russian minority -- in line with international standards. He also said the country is legally committed to increasing its defense spending to at least 2 percent of the gross domestic product by 2003. "We are going to complete our homework and realistically, we will be ready by 2002," he said. Berzins also said he doesn't believe NATO would invite one Baltic country independently of the others. The three countries currently have a trade agreement that allows for free movement of goods and capital. They also share a military training college. "It is impossible to separate the Baltic countries from each other," he said. Latvia is also among the 12 nations negotiating to join the European Union, but unlike the Czech Republic, it is not widely expected to be among the first wave of entrants in 2004. Berzins said that for Latvians, membership in NATO and the EU are inextricably linked. "It's a one-way road. It's impossible to separate these two things," he said. Membership in these institutions, Berzins said, will give Latvia a chance to develop into a mature democracy. After spending centuries under the yoke of Germans, Russians, Swedes, Poles and Soviets, he said, Latvians see NATO and EU membership as "a guarantee that no one or group of countries will divide influence here in Europe without asking us." Michael Mainville's e-mail address is mmainville@praguepost.cz