PRESIDENTS OF LITHUANIA AND ESTONIA NOT TO ATTEND V-DAY CELEBRATION IN MOSCOW

Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus is not coming to Moscow on May 9 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of victory over fascism. The Lithuanian leader made a statement to this effect in a special nationwide radio address on Monday. Earlier Adamkus had met with Russian Ambassador to Lithuania Boris Tsepov and informed the latter of his decision. The meeting lasted less than 10 minutes. The Russian diplomat declined to make any comments regarding the details of the meeting. The news service of the Lithuanian TV3 channel quoted unidentified sources as saying that Adamkus had made a decision not to attend the celebration of the V-Day 60th anniversary in Moscow as early as last month. Estonian President Arnold Ruutel also made an official statement on Monday and announced that he declined an invitation to visit Moscow on May 9. Arnold Ruutel made this statement in the presence of journalists specially invited to the presidential palace in the Kadriorg park. Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga is the only leader of the Baltic states intending to attend the V-Day celebrations in Moscow.