The Latvian and Russian mass media circulate the information that the Latvian government has empowered Foreign Minister Artis Pabriks to sign the Agreement on the State Border with Russia supplementing it with an "explanatory" declaration as "an integral part". The declaration cites as a priority the Riga Peace Treaty, dated August 11, 1920, which is long considered null and void. In this way, Latvia's territorial claims to Russia are confirmed.
"The Russian side has not yet received an official notification on the intention of the Latvian side while concluding the border treaty to make the 'explanatory declaration'", the Russian Foreign Ministry notes.
"The essence of the question is that the text of the declaration, published by the Latvian foreign minister on April 26, actually signifies advancing territorial claims to Russia, rids the Agreement on the State Border between the two countries of its object and goal", stresses the Russian foreign policy establishment.
"The declaration means Latvia's rejection of fixing the state border, which Riga qualifies only as a 'border line', is contrary to international law, principles of the Final Act of the Helsinki Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, clauses of the Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation between the Russian Federation and the European Union", reports the Press and Information Board of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
"This, certainly, causes a great regret more so that the Russian side, meeting halfway the desire of the Latvian colleagues, some of their allies in the EU and NATO, as well as guided by the desire, common with the European Union, to finalize the contractual-law fixing of the common border of Russia and the EU, is ready to go for signing the Border Treaty even without waiting for the completion of work on the joint Russian-Latvian political document and the principles of relations", the Russian Foreign Ministry notes.
