LETTONIE - RUSSIE, Traités et documents de base

Summary of Supreme Council's Memorandum to USSR President Gorbachev

The Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia (Summary of Supreme Council's Memorandum to USSR President Gorbachev)

The May 4, 1990 Declaration "On the Restoration of the Independence of the Republic of Latvia" proclaimed that Latvia was declared independent on November 18, 1918, gained international recognition in 1920, and was [a] full member of the League of Nations.

Notwithstanding this May 4, 1990 declaration, the Soviet leadership is still avoiding talks concerning this issue.

Despite our endeavours to renew the independence of Latvia by peaceful, parliamentary means, to maintain friendly, neighbourly relations and economic co-operation on an equal basis with the USSR and other republics, the population of Latvia and the lawfully elected Supreme Council is subjected to intense political, economic and military pressure and interference in the internal affairs of Latvia from the USSR.

Here are the facts:

Already before the adoption of the May 4, 1990 Declaration, several Soviet central authorities actually carried out actions which could be considered economic sabotage.

The Soviet Armed Forces and other Soviet Special Force Militia units stationed in Latvia are ever more aggressively interfering in the country's internal affairs and ignoring Constitution requirements. They stormed the Supreme Council's building on May 15, 1990, and exploit any opportunity to demonstrate force and to ignore the laws of the legal government of Latvia.

Regardless of the recent constitutionally guaranteed multi-party system in Latvia and in the USSR, separate subdivisions of the Soviet Armed Forces and divisions of the Soviet Special Force Militia from the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs act as mercenaries of the Communist Party of Latvia. They not only hinder the implementation of; but also violate, laws, for example, assaulting court bailiffs and threatening them with weapons.

The Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia announces that there are no nationality conflicts in Latvia and that the growing social terror is the consequence of the continuing Soviet occupation.

The results of the Paris CSCE talks demonstrate that the outbreak of a new world war in Europe is now precluded. The presence of any USSR armed military units on the territory of the Republic of Latvia is a threat to Latvia's security and to its population.

Therefore, in order to prevent further escalation of tension, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia proposes to the USSR:

1. To stop interference of the USSR Armed Forces in the internal affairs and political life of the Republic of Latvia;

2. To withdraw from the Republic of Latvia the divisions of the USSR Special Force Militia units residing and located in Riga;

3. To discontinue the movement of Soviet Armed Forces into the territory of the Republic of Latvia, to discontinue the construction of Soviet military objects in Latvia, and to forbid Soviet soldiers to carry weapons beyond the army bases' territory; and

4. To commence negotiations with the authorised delegation of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia on the following issues:

a) to fully renew the independence of the Republic of Latvia;

b) to define the status of the Soviet Armed Forces in Latvia and gradually achieve their complete withdrawal under international observance of the UN or of the CSCE participants;

c) to resolve the issue of the status of the USSR citizens in Latvia while observing universally-recognized human rights; and

d) to find a solution to common economic problems.

If the negotiations are cancelled, or the situation in Latvia is deliberately aggravated, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia reserves the right to use any effective, but non-violent, means, but the people of Latvia reserves the right to not subordinate themselves to the unlawful actions of the USSR government bodies.

The Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia considers the Baltic question to be an issue of international importance and will use its rights to seek international assistance.

Supreme Council Press Centre

November 21, 1990
Riga, Latvia

Source:
fax from Supreme Council Press Centre