SOCHI, August 22. /TASS/. Russia objects to the term ‘occupation’ relative to the stay of the Baltic republics within the Soviet Union and rejects any possibility of talking about any compensation, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.
The Kremlin spokesman this commented on the intention of Estonia and Latvia to demand compensation from Russia for the period of the alleged ‘Soviet occupation.’
As the Russian presidential spokesman noted, this is ‘an old theme,’ which ‘hotheads’ have long been exploiting and ‘there is nothing new in it.’
"We, of course, do not agree, in general, with the term ‘Soviet occupation,’" Peskov said.
"We do not agree that there can be a talk about any compensation. One should also not forget about the contribution made to the infrastructural, economic and social development of the Baltic states during the Soviet period," the Kremlin spokesman stressed.
As the press office of the Estonian Justice Ministry reported on Tuesday. Estonia’s Justice Minister Urmas Reinsalu and his Latvian counterpart Dzintars Rasnacs are planning to consider a demand to Russia to compensate for the damage during the period of the alleged ‘Soviet occupation.’ In a joint statement, they stress that it is important to remember the period of the ‘Soviet occupation’ and consider demanding from Russia as a legal successor to the Soviet Union to compensate for the alleged damage. The ministers also said they were ready to decide the issue of compensation within the framework of international law at the UN level.
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia signed a joint declaration three years ago on the need to seek compensation for the damage allegedly done by the ‘Soviet occupation’. Earlier, Vilnius claimed that Lithuania could seek $30 bln compensation.