If Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia get from Russia at least ten billion euros, they will be able to handle a set of their serious economic problems, he said.
Vardomsky said Latvia was the worst hit among the ex-USSR Baltic states by the worsening of relations with Russia. "Pipeline transit is standing idle, the budget revenues have been lost, a high level of unemployment and a worsening demographic factor - the aged population is diminishing and young people are leaving -- are observed," he said.
Nevertheless, the Latvian authorities intend to "lessen the number of Russian speakers by returning them to their historical homeland," he said. Still, in the opinion of Riga this measure would bring the ratio between the Russian-speaking and indigenous Latvian population to that in Estonia, if not Lithuania, Vardomsky said. In his figures, the number of Russian speakers in Lithuania is 8%, Estonia 30% and Latvia 40%.
"The only explanation for this mood is that, if in the present demographic situation Russian speakers stay in the country and get the citizen status, Latvia may face the birth of new parties, new leaders and a change in the national policy course," Vardomsky said.
