1992: Address of the Council of Baltic States

G7/8 Summits > 1992 Munich Summit

Address of the Council of the Baltic States to the Heads of State and Governments of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States

Tallinn, 16 June 1992
Released at the Munich Summit, 7 July 1992

The Council of the Baltic States is forced to state that against the will of the peoples of those countries and despite demands issued by their Governments the armed forces of a foreign state - the Russian Federation — located on the territories of three independent states - the Republic of Lithuania — are still not being withdrawn. This situation does not only imply a continuing threat to the security of the Baltic States but is also a destabilizing factor for the whole of Europe. It reduces faith in justice and above all in terms of the principles of peaceful coexistence of sovereign states. The Russian troops continue to harm the economy and the ecology in the Baltic countries.

The Council of the Baltic States emphasizes that there is no legal basis for the presence of the armed forces of the Russian Federation on the territories of the Baltic States.

Regrettably it must be stated that the course of the negotiations between the Baltic States and Russia on the withdrawal of the Russian armed forces bears witness to the fact that the Russian Federation is attempting to secure the continued presence of its armed forces in the Baltic States both de facto and de jure.

In this context the Council of the Baltic States appeals to the Heads of State and Governments of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan the United Kingdom and the United States with the request that they assist, in any way possible, to the speedy withdrawal of the armed forces of the Russian Federation from the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Lithuania. In particular, financial aid to Russia could be specifically earmarked for finding the withdrawal of Russian troops from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and to real progress towards the goal - the unconditional and complete withdrawal of these troops.

Chairman of the Supreme Council
Republic of Estonia
Arnold Ruutel Chairman of the Supreme Council
Republic of Latvia
Anatolijs Gorbunovs Chairman of the Supreme Council
Republic of Lithuania
Vytautas Landsbergis

Source: Dated at Tallinn, June 26, 1992; released at the Munich Summit, July 7, 1992.

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