Aleksej Dunda. The Latvian Government ignores the visit of Luzkov
2010 08 31
The Mayor of Moscow Jurij Lushkov is visiting Riga on 25 August. According to the Telegraph, the top leaders of Latvia ignore this visit.
The Telegraph was not able to find out the agenda of the visit of Jurij Luzkov. Strange enough, that two days before the visit Anna Kononova, press secretary of the Mayor of Riga Nil Ushakov has honestly admitted that the programme has not yet been confirmed.
The Telegraph has found out that no meetings were planned with the top leaders of Latvia.
Thus, it is likely that the story of 2002 is replayed. Then the first visit of Jurij Luzkov in Riga was also ignored by the top leaders of Latvia. The then President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga has left to Rujiena for the tasting of ice-cream. Only Ainars Shlessers, the then Vice Prime Minister received the head of the Russian capital in the office of the government.
Such attitude of the official authorities may be explained considering his sharp remarks towards Latvia. In 1998 he considered Latvia and Estonia as countries, where apartheid regime is directed towards the Russian-speaking population. He compared in general the situation in Latvia with the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia and was among the most active initiators of imposing economic sanctions against Latvia.
However, Jurij Luzkov is not the same as before, and even in Russia it is more clearly outspoken about his early retirement. His tenure is expiring this summer, and according to the Russian press, is not going to be extended.
Material has been prepared by the Centre of Geopolitical Studies with reference to the article from « Телеграф.lv» of 24 08 2010 | 
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