YouSaid · the spoken record

Guntis Ulmanis

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS GUNTIS ULMANIS

lines on the record
69
first
1993-09-24
most recent
1998-09-24
sittings or episodes
3
sources
un-general-debate

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  1. “The pace of population transfer increased dramatically after 1959, when Soviet leaders initiated a policy of colonization for Latvia by undertaking a heavy industrialization drive there. During the next 30 years the total population of Latvia increased by 27 per cent. While the indigenous population grew at a rate of 7.6 per cent, population growth in the migrant community was 58.5 per cent, with the result that mechanical growth exceeded natural growth by close to a factor of eight. I should like to stress that no other country has lost, as a result of occupation and colonialism, such a large part of its indigenous population during modern times. In no other modern-day country has the indigenous population nearly become a minority in its own country, as has happened in Latvia.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

  2. “Among the victims who suffered this fate were the Livs, one of the indigenous peoples of Latvia, who at present number only a few dozen. During the post-war years, the deportation and massive involuntary emigration of Latvians from their native land was paralleled by a heavy influx of residents of the Soviet Union. In 1945, newly arrived Soviet military personnel were immediately allocated approximately 25 per cent of all the apartments in Riga, the capital of Latvia. Many of these apartments had earlier been vacated by Latvian families which had been deported to Siberia or which had been forced to flee to the West. In addition to the introduction into Latvia of active and retired military personnel, the Soviet regime, using offers of various privileges, enticed civilian labourers and managers from the Soviet Union to migrate to Latvia.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

  3. “As I have stated, it is important to recognize that Latvia was illegally occupied and annexed, and that a principal consequence of these events is the significantly altered demographic situation there. This situation must be taken into account if one is to understand the internal situation in Latvia. In 1940, 75 per cent of Latvia’s inhabitants were ethnic Latvians but today they constitute only 52 per cent of Latvia’s population. During the Soviet occupation, hundreds of thousands of persons were deported to Siberia, and many thousands were arrested and executed. During the Second World War tens of thousands died, were sent to Nazi Germany for forced labour, or were forced to emigrate to the West in order to escape the Red Terror. In sum, during the occupation, the pre-war population of Latvia was reduced by one third.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

  4. “I hope that the negotiations with the Russian Federation, which began yesterday, on 28 September 1993, will be pragmatic in nature and will soon lead to an agreement providing for the complete withdrawal of foreign military forces from the territory of Latvia. Such an agreement would have the potential to open a new chapter in the relationship between our two States, a chapter containing neither suspicion nor animosity. We could then even foresee a time when our societies and children would be free of the prejudices of the past. Latvia welcomes the complete withdrawal of the military forces of the Russian Federation from Lithuania, which is a step toward improving the security of the Baltic region.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

  5. “Contrary to agreement, fresh recruits have secretly entered Latvia to replace departing troops. In the light of the continued presence of these forces, foreign investment in Latvia, which is necessary for the development of our small country, has been discouraged. In 8 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session addition, the military forces of the Russian Federation have done substantial damage to Latvia’s environment. Latvia seeks an assurance that its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity will be respected and that a threat to international peace and security will not arise from its territory.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

  6. “For years, the officer corps of the occupying army was granted favourable access to apartments, medical care and other social services. Demands for continuation of such privileges are not only unacceptable to Latvia, but unjust to all its residents; we shall not permit these demands to delay the withdrawal process. At the beginning of the negotiations between our two States, in February 1992, agreement was reached on certain matters. Among these was the requirement that both parties refrain from uncoordinated, unilateral actions during the period of withdrawal. The time since then has been marked by such incidents as the military forces of the Russian Federation conducting unauthorized troop movements on the ground, unauthorized naval movements through Latvia’s ports and unauthorized air sorties in Latvian skies.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

  7. “The problem of the final withdrawal date is compounded by the demands of the Russian Federation to maintain three bases in Latvia: the radar station in Skrunda, the cosmic intelligence centre in Ventspils and the naval base in Liepaja. We have repeatedly stated, and the international community, including the Russian Federation, has concurred, that withdrawal should be early and complete; furthermore, we cannot permit our soil to be used for purposes that may be directed against third countries. A second principal issue on which the Russian Federation has held up its withdrawal from Latvia is its demand for extraordinary social benefits for pensioned officers of the former Soviet Union and the Russian Federation who are residing in Latvia.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

  8. “Since February 1992, State delegations of Latvia and the Russian Federation have held eight sessions of negotiations on the subject of troop withdrawal from Latvia. These negotiations resulted in various agreements, which govern technical matters during withdrawal. Unfortunately, we have failed to secure agreement on the important question of a withdrawal timetable. Latvia has consistently demanded that withdrawal be completed by the end of 1993, two and a half years after Latvia regained its independence. The delegation of the Russian Federation has offered final withdrawal dates ranging from 1994 until 1999, without ever submitting a concrete timetable or systematic plan for withdrawal.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

  9. “Before I report to the Assembly on the present situation regarding the issue of the foreign military forces on the territory of Latvia, I should like to express Latvia’s support for the ongoing democratic processes in the Russian Federation, at whose head is the lawfully elected President of the Russian Federation, Boris Yeltsin. I hope that the political and economic reform process in the Russian Federation will continue and that political forces there will solve their problems using peaceful and democratic means. At critical moments in the past, democratic forces in the Russian Federation have demonstrated their ability to act decisively to keep the Russian Federation on the road to democracy. I am convinced that this will also be the case in these, for Russia, difficult and complicated times.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

  10. “A fact-finding mission headed by Tommy Koh, Ambassador-at-Large of Singapore, recently returned from Latvia and the Baltic States to report to the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 47/21. We thank the Secretary-General for his efforts at ensuring the implementation of this resolution. We also wish to thank Mr. Stoyan Ganev, President of the General Assembly at its forty-seventh session, for accepting our invitation to visit Latvia in July 1993 and witnessing the situation in Latvia at first hand. I hope that, in addition to reviewing the situation regarding foreign military forces, Mr. Ganev gained insight into Latvia’s process of renewal.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

  11. “In adopting resolution 47/21 by consensus, the General Assembly called upon the Baltic States and the Russian Federation "to conclude without delay appropriate agreements, including timetables, for the early, orderly and complete withdrawal of foreign military forces from the territories of Estonia and Latvia". (resolution 47/21, para. 2) The Russian Federation, in joining in the consensus for the adoption of resolution 47/21, affirmed its obligation to withdraw its military forces from the Baltic States, which it had earlier assumed as a participating State of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe at the Helsinki meeting in July 1992.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

  12. “Forty-eighth session - 29 September l993 7 For over two years, Latvia has sought the removal of the former Soviet Union’s military forces from its territory, through bilateral negotiations with the Russian Federation and with the assistance of the international community. Yet these forces, now under the control of our large neighbour, the Russian Federation, are still stationed on our territory. Last year the General Assembly addressed this issue under the agenda item entitled "Complete withdrawal of foreign military forces from the territories of the Baltic States".”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

  13. “Among these efforts is our recent agreement with the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe to establish a presence in Riga, our capital. These efforts have resulted in an increased understanding of the situation in Latvia, providing the United Nations, Member States and regional organizations with the knowledge and perspective to respond adequately to our problems. The Secretary-General, Member States and regional organizations have been involved, in cooperation with Latvia, in applying these measures to the most important and urgent matter now confronted by Latvia - namely, the continued illegal presence of the military forces of the former Soviet Union on Latvian territory.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

  14. “Recognizing the pragmatic and forward-looking approach of the proposals contained in the Secretary-General’s report, preventive diplomacy in particular, we must also consider proposals that will similarly address other responsibilities of the United Nations, including the enhancement of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the promotion of sustainable development. Latvia’s experience with regard to the utilization of preventive diplomacy may be useful in developing such proposals. I should like to emphasize that Latvia has utilized preventive diplomacy to the maximum extent possible. Latvia has initiated or welcomed United Nations and regionally sponsored efforts in fact-finding and confidencebuilding in connection with the issues facing Latvia and our region.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

  15. “The key to stable and friendly relations between our two States, in both the political and economic spheres, is recognition by both parties that Latvia was illegally and forcibly occupied and annexed in 1940 by the Soviet Union. I should like to express Latvia’s support for the various efforts by the Secretary-General and the Member States to promote the maintenance of international peace and security, in particular, efforts that were initiated by the report of the Secretary-General entitled "An Agenda for Peace".”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

  16. “Consequently, when it re-established its independence in l991 Latvia was quickly able to renew diplomatic relations with those States with which it had had such relations prior to its occupation in 1940. In addition, Latvia continues to adhere to certain bilateral and multilateral agreements to which it became party between 1918 and 1940. I have stressed the matter of Latvia’s continuous identity between 1918 and 1991 in order to emphasize that Latvia is not a newly independent State. This fact is important because the de jure continuity of Latvian statehood has legal, political and economic consequences for Latvia, in particular with respect to our relations with the Russian Federation.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

  17. “Even though the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and its secret protocols were, under international law, void at their signing, Latvia was forcibly annexed by the Soviet Union shortly after the occupation. Although Latvia lost its sovereignty and independence de facto, its status as a State continued de jure. Latvia’s de jure status continued to be recognized by many States, and this position was echoed in their declarations throughout the fifty-year period of Latvia’s occupation. The continuing identity of the State of Latvia was preserved by the application of the principle that illegal acts cannot validly change an existing legal situation - ex injuria non oritus jus.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

  18. “Moreover, the convening of the Saeima completed a three-year restoration process that included the re-establishment of our de facto independence in August 1991 and our admission to the United Nations. The re-establishment of Latvia’s independence and the restoration of its Constitution, following a half century of suspension, is testimony to the power of democracy, the endurance of the human will and the supremacy of international law. To understand the processes currently under way in Latvia and in our region, it is helpful to note some aspects of recent history. According to a secret protocol to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 1939, signed by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, Latvia was relegated to the Soviet Union’s sphere of influence, an act which cleared the way for the Soviet Union’s illegal occupation of Latvia in 1940.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

  19. “Mr. President, please accept Latvia’s congratulations on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its forty-eighth session. The people of Latvia wish you a successful term as leader of this body. Latvia wishes to pay its respects to those nation States which have recently been admitted to the United Nations and looks forward to cooperation with them. It has been an eventful year for Latvia. On 18 November 1993, Latvia will celebrate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the declaration of independence of Latvia in 1918. Our seventy-fifth year of statehood has been marked by the election and the convening of our Parliament, the Saeima. The convening of the Saeima was an especially solemn occasion in that it meant the full restoration of parliamentary democracy and the Constitution of 1922.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)