Thursday, January 25, 2007
Latvian parliamentt votes for border treaty with RF without claims
RIGA, January 25 (Itar-Tass) - Latvian parliament has empowered the government to sign a border treaty with Russia without territorial claims.
The parliament approved a relevant bill in the first reading to be submitted to the foreign affairs commission for further consideration.
Under this bill the Cabinet shall sign a border treaty with Russia initialled back in 1997.
Russia and Latvia should have signed the document in Moscow on May 10, 2005. But the Latvian authorities adopted a declaration as an addendum to the treaty indirectly mentioning a long simmering dispute over the Pytalovo district in the Pskov region.
Latvia’s former Abrene district was transferred to the Soviet Union after World War II and renamed into Pytalovo.
Moscow assessed this declaration as territorial claims and refused to sign a border treaty until the declaration is revoked.
Sixty-eight parliamentarians of the 100 present supported the bill, while 24 deputies voted against. Among those who opposed the bill are members of the For Fatherland and Freedom union and New Era Party.
The document should be approved in the second and third readings and may be submitted for reconsideration to the foreign affairs commission twice. It will take from two to three months to sign this bill into law.
The parliament approved a relevant bill in the first reading to be submitted to the foreign affairs commission for further consideration.
Under this bill the Cabinet shall sign a border treaty with Russia initialled back in 1997.
Russia and Latvia should have signed the document in Moscow on May 10, 2005. But the Latvian authorities adopted a declaration as an addendum to the treaty indirectly mentioning a long simmering dispute over the Pytalovo district in the Pskov region.
Latvia’s former Abrene district was transferred to the Soviet Union after World War II and renamed into Pytalovo.
Moscow assessed this declaration as territorial claims and refused to sign a border treaty until the declaration is revoked.
Sixty-eight parliamentarians of the 100 present supported the bill, while 24 deputies voted against. Among those who opposed the bill are members of the For Fatherland and Freedom union and New Era Party.
The document should be approved in the second and third readings and may be submitted for reconsideration to the foreign affairs commission twice. It will take from two to three months to sign this bill into law.
