Latvia: Russia Hands Over Last Military Facility In Baltics.
Published:
27 October 1999 y., Wednesday
Russia gives up the last of its military facilities in the Baltics today, with the handover of a radar base to Latvian control. Without a lot of fanfare, more than half a century of Russian military presence in the Baltics is closed. It happened when Russian officials relinquished control of a radar base in Skrunda, Latvia. The base was the last vestige of the once mighty Soviet military presence in the Baltics, dating back to the forced annexation of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania into the Soviet Union during World War II. Latvian Foreign Minister Indulis Berzinsh called the handover a "positive example" for relations between Riga and Moscow. Russia was scheduled to hand over the radar base four months from now. But Russian officials say moving up the date of the pullout will save them $5 million they would have had to pay to rent the base during that time. The radar station has not been in operation for more than a year. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has already confirmed that the radar has been fully dismantled. The other radar station the Russians used in Skrunda was destroyed -- literally blown up - in 1995 with American financial backing.
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
President Dalia Grybauskaitė sent a letter to the participants of the ceremony of unveiling a commemorative plaque in Washington Square in Vilnius to mark the seventieth anniversary of the US Department of State Declaration on the Non-Recognition of the Annexation of the Baltic States.
more »
President Dalia Grybauskaitė on behalf of herself and the people of Lithuania extended congratulations to His Majesty Albert II, King of the Belgians, on the occasion of Independence Day.
more »
On 20 July at the international conference on Afghanistan in Kabul, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis affirmed that Lithuania would continue fulfilling commitments and contributing to the stabilization and development of Ghor Province.
more »
President Dalia Grybauskaitė presented letters of credence to Žygimantas Pavilionis, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Lithuania to the United States of America.
more »
Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis welcomed the official launch of European Union-Georgia talks on Association Agreement.
more »
Lithuania’s honorary consuls are expected to contribute consolidated efforts to achieving today’s key tasks of Lithuania’s economic diplomacy – the promotion of Lithuanian exports and attraction of foreign direct investments.
more »
Victory in the Battle of Grunwald (Žalgiris) stands as a symbol signifying the hope of the Lithuanian people to seek freedom and independence, President Dalia Grybauskaitė underlined at the celebration of the 600th Anniversary of the Grunwald Battle.
more »
President Dalia Grybauskaitė, together with Polish President-elect Bronisław Komorowski and prominent Polish state and public figures, took part in the festive celebration of the 600th Anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald (Žalgiris).
more »
Yesterday evening, after the wreath-laying ceremony at the Grunwald Monument and the opening of a special exhibition at the Wawel Royal Castle in Kraków, President D. Grybauskaitė of Lithuania and President-elect B. Komorowski of Poland had a working dinner together.
more »
Wednesday, 14 July, the President of the Republic of Lithuania, Dalia Grybauskaitė, is to meet with her Romanian counterpart, Traian Băsescu, who is to pay an official visit to Lithuania.
more »