Latvian President wants Moscow to admit communists' crimes

Interfax ^ | January 18, 2005 | Interfax

[Land_of_Lincoln_John]

Riga. (Interfax) - Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga has urged the international community to make Moscow acknowledge crimes the Soviet Union committed during Communist rule.

All democratic countries ought to ask Russia to condemn the crimes committed in the Soviet era for the sake of Communism. Russia must acknowledge the darkest periods in its history, as Germany did after WWII, Vike-Freiberga said at a meeting with foreign ambassadors in Latvia.

In May 2005, Latvia will celebrate the 15th anniversary of the declaration of its independence, an event that put an end to the 50-year long Soviet occupation, she said.

Latvia, together with all of Europe, will mark the victory over Nazi Germany on May 8. However, unlike many Western European countries, the Baltic states were condemned to a brutal occupation by another totalitarian empire, the Soviet Union, she said.

Latvia's celebration of the victory over Hitler will be overshadowed by sadness because, at the hands of the Soviet Union, the Latvian population suffered inhuman persecution and mass deportations, she said.

Vike-Freiberga said her participation in the May 9 celebrations in Moscow would be a sign of support of the Russian people who sustained losses and suffering.

The Russian people played an important role in liberating Europe from the brutal tyrant Hitler. They suffered from Stalin's tyranny no less than the Latvian people, she said.

Vike-Freiberga reiterated there were no plans to sign the Russian- Latvian border treaty during the visit.

[sandbar]

You mean there really IS a place called Latvia? I thought they just made that up for Taxi.

No wait, that was Latka.

[henderson field]

Isn't that a little like getting the Japanese to admit to attacking Pear Harbor?