LATVIA

Latvia celebrates centenary against backdrop of tension with neighbouring Russia

November 18, 2018

The Baltic nations celebrate centenaries in 2018, with Latvia tailing the pack and all three worried about Russia. One Latvian wants to give the country its highest peak as a centenary gift.

The three countries gained independence in the turmoil that engulfed the region after the end of World War I: Estonia and Lithuania celebrated their centenaries in Feb 2018.

The hundreds of centenary events will help distract the three NATO and European Union members from their Russia headache, which includes fear of a conventional lighting strike that could be executed before NATO could react and of the hybrid warfare Russia has undertaken in eastern Ukraine. NATO has stationed battle groups in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

The Baltic three have large ethnic Russian populations, another source of tension. The Washington Post notes that the Baltics’ Russians have a long history of grievances over language, citizenship and cultural policies that excluded them from political and economic life after the countries gained independence in 1991. Russia annexed Crimea and it backs Ukrainian rebels in the east of the country with the argument that it is protecting ethnic Russians.

Latvian public broadcaster LSM reported in Sep 2016 that the owner of Mount Gaizins – the country’s highest peak at almost 1,022 feet – wants to give it to Latvia as a centenary present. The owner has met with legal hurdles and there has been no recent news on whether these will be cleared in time for the centenary.

#22506 Published: February 9, 2018