Baltic News
News highlights from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Monday—July 5, 2004
TALLINN (CITY PAPER) Baltic economies continue to rocket ahead, still registering the highest growth rates anywhere in Europe. In the latest statistics to be released, Estonia reported a 6.8 percent growth rate for the first quarter of 2004, a higher-than-expected figure. Last month, Latvia weighed in with the highest first-quarter growth among the Baltics—a whopping 8.8 percent rate. Lithuania notched up numbers that were nearly as impressive, announcing 7.7 percent quarterly growth.
       Lithuania's economy boomed by 9 percent for the whole of 2003; Latvia's grew by 7.1 and Estonia's by 5.1 percent.

Monday—June 28, 2004
VILNIUS (CITY PAPER) Valdas Adamkus has completed one of Europe's stranger comebacks by winning a presidential runoff race. The one-time American citizen, now 77, won nearly 53 percent of the vote Sunday compared to 47.5 percent for his rival, one-time Lithuanian Prime Minister Prunskiene. The election was closer than many expected, with Prunskiene drawing strong support from Lithuanians in the countryside. 
"I would venture to say that it was a choice between East and West, and a majority of Lithuanians said they are for the West," Adamkus, who was Lithuanian president from 1998-2003, was quoted by Reuters as saying after his victory. "We will pay more attention to general European affairs, raising our standard of living at the same
time."
       Adamkus—seen as an honest, straight-talking grandfatherly figure—reemerged from effective retirement after President Rolandas Paksas was impeached earlier this year for alleged links to organized crime; Sunday's election was called to replace the ousted president. It was Paksas who had staged an upset victory over then-incumbent President Adamkus in a regularly scheduled election in 2003.
       Prunskiene, 61, has been a controversial figure since suspicions were raised in the early 1990s that she might have links to the KGB. But Paksas supporters, many of them angry that their political hero was forced out of power this year by parliament, supported Prunskiene. Adamkus was widely endorsed by establishment parties.
       (For more about Adamkus and his life in Chicago before he first became president, see the following from CITY PAPER's archives: Mr. President.)

Monday—June 21, 2004
RIGA (CITY PAPER) Latvia has again made European football history, this time by tying mighty Germany in a Euro 2004 Championship match on Saturday. Many observers at the current final in Portugal said the tie was the surprise so far of the tournament. Latvia is widely seen as the Cinderella of the event, and by far the longest shot to win, but it has so far very held its ground with the Big Boys of European soccer. Earlier in the week, Latvia lost to the highly touted Czech Republic by a narrow 2-1 margin after briefly leading the Czechs. Latvia's goalless draw with the Germans, who are several times world champions, was enthusiastically celebrated in Riga. The tie horrified Germany, which expected its national side to thoroughly crush the less-experienced Latvians. Latvia even looked set to win the game at several points, including when an apparently blatant foul on a Latvian player looked like it would lead to a penalty kick; but the English referee did not make the call despite Latvian protests. (For more on Latvian soccer and its stunning successes in qualifying for Euro 2004, see http://www.balticsww.com/latvian%20football.htm)

Monday—June 14, 2004
VILNIUS-RIGA-TALLINN (CITY PAPER) A former Lithuanian president took a major step toward returning to power after coming in first in a presidential vote while Baltic governments took severe hits in European Parliament elections Sunday. Valdas Adamkus, Lithuania's president from 1998-2003, won about 30 percent of the vote to pick a new president—following the impeachment earlier this year of Rolandas Paksas amid allegations he had links to organized crime. Adamkus fell well short of the 50 percent needed to win the presidency outright Sunday and he will now face a runoff on June 27 with the second place finisher, one-time Lithuanian Prime Minister Kazimira Prunskiene. Prunskiene won just over 20 percent of the vote. The 77-year-old Adamkus,  a former American citizen who spent most of his adult life in Chicago, is the clear favorite to win in two weeks; Prunskiene, 61, has been a controversial figure since suspicions were raised in the early 1990s that she might have links to the KGB and she wouldn't seem to have the core support to overtake Adamkus. Paksas supporters, many of them angry that their political hero was forced out of power by parliament, threw their backing behind Prunskiene; if she is able to rally the many disgruntled Lithuanian voters, she could still stage an upset of Adamkus, who is now likely to be endorsed by establishment parties.
       In elections for the European Parliament, an EU body with limited powers, government parties fared poorly. In Estonia, the left-wing Social Democratic party (formerly the Moderates), took nearly 40 percent of the votes in the election; that translated into three of the six seats Estonia will have in the European Parliament. The center-left Center Party won around 18 percent of the vote, the center-right Reform Party won around 12 percent and the center-right Pro-Patria won 10; Prime Minister Juhan Parts' party, Res Publica, won just 7 percent. The European vote saw a record low turnout for an Estonian election of  less than 30 percent of the electorate.
       In Latvia, the right-wing, non-governmental party For Fatherland and Freedom won nearly 30 percent of the vote, with the center-right New Time, another non-governmental party, coming in second with nearly 20 percent of the vote. The only other parties that broke the 5-percent barrier to assure themselves a European Parliament seat were the leftist for Human Rights, which won 10 percent, the centrist People's Party with 7 percent and Latvia's Way, with around 6 percent.
       The EU results were equally unexpected in Lithuania, where the year-old Labor Party—set up by a multi-millionaire Russian in parliament—came in first with some 30 percent of the vote. The ruling Social Democrats came in a distant second with 14 percent; the center-right Conservatives came in third, with around 10 percent of the vote.

Wednesday—May 26, 2004
VILNIUS (CITY PAPER) Rolandas Paksas, recently impeached as Lithuanian president, has lost all hope of making a comeback after a constitutional court ruled Tuesday that "an impeached president under the constitution can never again be elected president." After Paksas was removed from office by parliament in April for alleged links to organized crime, he vowed he would stand in the special June 13 presidential election; with significant support in parts of the countryside he was given a chance of winning. But in announcing the constitutional court ruling, court president Egidijus Kuris said "the process of an impeachment is an instrument of self-defense. Society with this instrument can protect itself from officials who breach the constitution and deny the principles of the rule of law." The court said a recent law banning impeached presidents from office, a law clearly aimed at Paksas, was constitutional. The frontrunners in the June election are ex-President Valdas Adamkus, former EU negotiator Petras Austrevicius and Social Minister Vilija Blinkeviciute.

Friday—May 21, 2004
TALLINN (CITY PAPER) Moscow has, unsurprisingly, rebuffed the call of some legislators in Estonia for Russia give compensation and apologize for the 50-year Soviet occupation. A recent Estonian state study said imposed Soviet rule cost the country billions of dollars in damages as well as thousands of lives. Russia's Interfax news agency, putting the term occupation in scare quotes, said the Russian Foreign Ministry has ruled out any such conciliatory move. "It should be perfectly clear that these attempts will not lead anywhere," it quoted a ministry press release as saying. The Kremlin statement said that the Russian-Estonian treaty on the withdrawal of Russian troops in the mid-1990s settled all bilateral claims.

Thursday—May 13, 2004
TALLINN (CITY PAPER) A state historical committee has released a report saying that Estonia lost some 180,000 people as a consequence of the 50-year Soviet occupation; it added that the presence of Red Army troops alone amounted in damages of some 4 billion dollars. The so called "white book" detailing Soviet-era losses to Estonia is expected to revive the push to seek billions in compensation from Moscow. All three Baltics have raised that prospect before though Russian leaders have repeatedly scoffed at the idea of either damage payments or an official apology. One Russian deputy was quoted in Moscow Wednesday as dismissing the Estonian conclusions, calling them "anti-Russian gibberish." (Related, see City Paper's The Gift, about Estonia's new occupation museum at (http://www.balticsworldwide.com/occupation%20_%20museum%20_%20tallinn.htm) 
 
Monday—May 10, 2004
VILNIUS (CITY PAPER) The following is a brief excerpt from a BBC online report by Eddie O'Gorman, who wrote about Vilnius as an up-and-coming tourist destination, including for young Brits looking for wild weekend binges: ...the concern is that when the budget airlines do move into Lithuania, they will also bring the stag parties. This has already happened in Dublin, Prague, and Tallinn, and in general the bar owners and hoteliers, having initially welcomed the free-spending young males, have become thoroughly disillusioned.
They alienate other customers, have no interest in anything other than the next drink, and frequently become boorish and obnoxious. Lithuanian beer is very good, but this is a country with a rich culture, and many beautiful things to see. There is much more to it than cheap beer. Many places in Dublin and Prague have already banned them.
However, with beer less than £1 a pint, the president of the Lithuanian Tourism Association, Kestutis Ambrozaitis, is resigned to the fact that this could well become a feature of the city. And he says that with a 30% room occupancy, hoteliers in Vilnius cannot afford to be choosy. "It's true that it is not ideal," he says. "The staff don't like them, they are often drunk, they break things, they damage the furniture. "But the good thing is that they always pay for it, and they pay well. So for now we put up with it. "But in the long term this is not the kind of tourist we want. 

Wednesday—May 5, 2004
VILNIUS-RIGA-TALLINN (CITY PAPER) The following is a short excerpt from RFE/Radio Liberty's analysis, The Baltic States' Rocky Road To The EU: .... Russia never disguised its deep dissatisfaction with the Baltic states' NATO membership, stating more than once that it would be forced to take strong measures to counter the growth of foreign forces on its borders. Its comments on Baltic membership in the EU were more moderate, recognizing the right of the three states to pursue closer ties with whichever states they wished. However, Moscow intensified its campaign against what it described as the mistreatment of Russian minorities in Estonia and Latvia, while protesting that the Kaliningrad exclave must not be left isolated from Russia after Lithuania joined the EU. Intense negotiations on the latter issue led to a compromise solution among the EU, Lithuania, and Russia. Moscow never eased its verbal attacks on Latvia and Estonia. The Kremlin made a final show of its displeasure when it demurred on an EU request that Russia assent to the inclusion of the new members in the EU-Russian Partnership and Cooperation Agreement immediately upon entry on 1 May. Russia responded by presenting 14 points it demanded in exchange for its agreement. Twelve of the points dealt with economic matters and were quickly resolved, but two concerned political matters: transit to and from the Kaliningrad Oblast through Lithuania, and the rights of the Russian minorities in Estonia and Latvia. When the EU stood firm, the Russian minorities issue was deleted.
There is perhaps fitting irony to the failure of Moscow's last effort to slip a stick in the spokes of EU membership. Russia's objections were somewhat perfunctory—Moscow knew that it would have to approve the extension of the agreement. But the fact that its efforts to raise the minorities issue were once again firmly rebuffed must have pleased the Baltic states for at least two reasons. It reaffirmed their acceptance by and integration into the EU; and it showed that they are now members of an organization that is dominant in Europe and cannot be cowed.

Monday—May 3, 2004
VILNIUS-RIGA-TALLINN (CITY PAPER) The Baltic states over the weekend celebrated their entry into the European Union, membership that was widely heralded as a turning point in the history of the region. The Baltics, along with seven other mainly ex-communist nations, joined the mighty European bloc as the clock struck midnight Friday. Ireland, which holds the EU presidency, welcomed the new members. "Today marks a new beginning for Europeans," said Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern as leaders from across the newly expanded EU looked on nearby. "Over the past years, you have been knocking on the door of Europe's biggest family ...Today, we open it and in the great Irish tradition, bid you a cead mile failte—100,000 welcomes." Some 30,000 Latvians gathered on the banks of the Daugava River in Riga to cheer in the new era. "Latvia has prepared for the EU, Latvia has strived and argued and achieved a result," a jubilant Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga told the crowd. "Now it is time to celebrate." In Estonia, thousands of volunteers set out to plant 1 million trees on a single day, Saturday, in an environmentally friendly celebration-though it wasn't immediately clear whether they reached their target. Like in the other two Baltic states, fireworks, singing and all-night parties were also the order of the day in Lithuania. Lithuanians, as usual, also showed a particular flare for marking such occasions: One film producer, Arunas Matelis, told the AFP news agency that the first babies born in the hours after Lithuanian membership would become the subjects of an 85-year-long documentary about their lives. The first footage started with their births at area hospitals around the Baltic state. Matelis said the EU babies would be filmed every seven years until they are at least 85.

Friday—April 30, 2004
VILNIUS-RIGA-TALLINN (CITY PAPER) The Baltic states are preparing to celebrate their entry into the European Union on May 1, membership that is widely seen as one of the most significant events in modern Baltic history. Celebrations are planned across the region: Fireworks and flag-raising ceremonies are scheduled for all three capitals; in Estonia, 1 million trees will be planted on Saturday to mark the momentous day. Leaders from the current EU states and the newcomers will gather in Dublin for elaborate ceremonies to welcome 10 new countries into the European bloc; some of those events in Ireland will be televised live across the Baltics. The Baltic countries hope that EU membership will boost standards of living in the coming years and also help protect Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia from economic and political pressure exerted by Moscow.

(For a listing of EU-entry events across the Baltics in the coming days and weeks, see www.balticsww.com/tourist/eu_events.htm. Also see the latest special edition of City Paper that focuses on Baltic EU membership.)

Tuesday—April 27, 2004
BRUSSELS (CITY PAPER) Russia and the EU came to an agreement Tuesday on extending economic relations laid out earlier to the 10 new European Union members, including the Baltic states. The agreement took weeks of tough negotiations, in part because of Moscow’s insistence that a joint EU-Russian statement include a clause about Russian-speaking minorities in Latvia and Estonia. The Baltics strongly opposed any such clause, saying Russia was concocting the issue on the eve of Baltic membership to put political pressure on the region. The EU backed the Baltic position and refused Russia’s bid for a reference to alleged discrimination of  minorities. 
       The EU-Russian deal, among other things, means that Russia will now have to drop its punitive double tariffs on Estonian imports—a barrier that has seriously hampered Estonian trade with Russia. The Russia sanction was on Estonia since 1995; Russia did not have double tariffs on Latvian and Lithuanian goods. The end to double tariffs as of Estonian entry into the EU on May 1 could prompt a sharp rise in Estonian exports to Russia.
       The Tuesday agreement means that Russia recognizes the EU and all the new member states as a single economic space. It will be barred from singling out any one member for special favors or sanctions. 

Friday—April 23, 2004
RIGA (CITY PAPER) Latvia gave a Russian diplomat his marching orders after he was accused of spying, officials in Riga confirmed Friday. The expulsion, which is likely to be followed by a tit-for-tat expulsion of a Latvian official from Moscow, comes on the eve of Latvia’s entry into the European Union. It also follows similar incidents in Estonia and Lithuania earlier this year. The Latvian-based Russian diplomat, who was not named, was accused of trying to improperly gather information on Latvian affairs, including its recent membership in NATO. 
       The Kremlin denounced Latvia for its “provocation” and said the move to kick out a Russian official demonstrated the Baltic state’s “anti-Russian policies”; it promised to retaliate.

Wednesday—April 21, 2004
VILNIUS (CITY PAPER) Lithuania’s discredited ex-President Rolandas Paksas could still be disbarred from running in the June 13 election—scheduled after he was sacked by parliament for abusing his office. This past weekend he announced that he intended to run for the presidency and his party, the Liberal Democrat Party, formally nominated him by a 353-to-0 vote. While his impeachment didn’t automatically disqualify him from standing in the election according to the Baltic state’s law, Lithuania’s Election Commission said he could be prevented from running on grounds of unethical behavior. A state ethics commission is expected to make a ruling in coming days. Many Lithuanians are horrified at the prospect that Paksas, accused of having ties to Russia’s mob, could take office again—drawing on support from many in the countryside and from the elderly and poor. Former Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus, who is 77, is considered a strong contender and he has vowed to stop Paksas from again taking a seat in the presidential palace in Vilnius. Paksas and his supporters have accused the Election Commission of trying to subvert the democratic process.
       (See report below for further details.) 

Monday—April 19, 2004
VILNIUS (CITY PAPER) A six-month drama surrounding the Lithuanian presidency looks set to continue as the recently deposed Rolandas Paksas confirmed the worst fears of many observers here: That he will run in a specially scheduled June 13 presidential election. Paksas, 47, was impeached two weeks ago after allegations swirled around him about links to Russia's mob. The one-time stunt pilot, who consistently denied any wrongdoing, is not barred by law from trying to retake his place in the presidential palace. 
       Many Lithuanian leaders, who wanted Paksas ousted as president because they feared he would spoil the nation's image in the European Union and NATO, said they were horrified that the populist politician will stand in June—and that he could even win. He still enjoys support in the countryside and among many elderly Lithuanians. His party, the Liberal Democratic Party, voted 353 to 0 at a congress Sunday to back his candidacy. 
       Former President Valdas Adamkus, who Paksas beat in a surprise upset in elections last year, said he may run if he could help stop Paksas; Adamkus said Paksas was "spitting into the faces" of his fellow Lithuanians. Adamkus has the reputation as being decent and honest—though, now pushing 80, many believe he might be too old for the job. The ruling Social-Democratic Party nominated Acting Speaker Ceslovas Jursenas as its nominee for president. 
        The current acting president is Arturas Paulauskas, who took on the role immediately after Paksas was sacked.  
       Several parties broached the idea of backing one candidate to ensure that the discredited Paksas can't stage a comeback, one that could be a diplomatic disaster for Lithuania. Many NATO and EU leaders are likely to keep an arms length from Lithuania should Paksas return to power. 
       (See reports from previous weeks for more on the impeachment of Paksas. From the CITY PAPER archives, also see the feature story on Adamkus—Mr. President.) 

Thursday—April 15, 2004
VILNIUS (CITY PAPER) Lithuania's parliament on Thursday set June 13 for an election to replace scandal-ridden Rolandas Paksas, impeached as president last week for abusing his office. The 141-seat parliament voted 44-0 to approve the date; there were three abstentions, with other deputies either not present or not voting. Lithuanians select representatives for the European Parliament on the same day.
       Parliament Speaker Arturas Paulauskas became acting president until the new election. Acting Speaker Ceslovas Jursenas, from the ruling Social Democratic Party, and Former President Valdas Adamkus have been mentioned as possible candidates. Lithuania's mainstream parties have discussed the possibility of rallying around a single candidate in the name of national unity, though no agreements were announced as of Thursday. 
       Paksas isn't barred from running and his supporters have urged him to do so. Prosecutors said the 47-year-old could still face criminal charges for his actions as president, which legislators found included divulging state secrets. If charged, he wouldn't be able to run for office.
       (For details on the impeachment, see reports from last week—below.) 

Wednesday—April 14, 2004
TALLINN (CITY PAPER) Estonia’s legislature Wednesday formally extended the mission of some 50 peacekeeping forces in Iraq until the middle of next year. The decision comes as fighting flared up in the Persian Gulf state and two months after Estonia’s first soldier was killed there. The 101-seat parliament approved the government-sponsored bill by a vote of 51 to three, with other deputies either not present or not voting. 

Monday—April 12, 2004
TALLINN (CITY PAPER) Estonian-born supermodel Carmen Kass will temporarily stroll off the catwalk and onto the political stage after a ruling party in her homeland named her as a candidate Saturday for the European Parliament. The frequent Vogue cover girl will be one of 12 members of the pro-business Res Publica vying for a place in the EU representative body in the June 13 election. The 25-year-old, heralded as one the the best known and richest Estonians in the world, has brushed aside criticism from some quarters that she has no previous political experience and so isn't qualified for public office. "I'm entering politics because, for the past 10 years, I've gotten a lot from the world," she said. "And everything I've gotten, I've gotten from Estonia. I want to give something back to Estonia." The blonde, blue-eye Kass said she believed she could help raise Estonia's profile in the EU body and that she could also spark a greater passion about politics among young Estonians. 
       Kass, discovered by a model scout in an Estonian supermarket when she was 14, works much of the year in New York City and Los Angeles; she won the coveted VH1/Vogue Model of the Year title in 2000. She's maintained close ties to Estonia over the years, including by helping to launch a model agency of her on in Tallinn, but she hasn't previously been involved in party politics. Speculation about her political ambitions first arose when she showed up at a presidential ball in February with Urmas Reinsalu, a leader of Res Publica. 
        (For pictures of Carmen Kass see here. Also, from the CITY PAPER archives, see Model City and Fashion Model Mania.) 

Thursday—April 8, 2004
VILNIUS (CITY PAPER) Lithuania is expected to set June 13 as the date for new presidential elections, following the impeachment of Rolandas Paksas this week. Paksas could run himself and his aides have hinted that he will. Media reports say that should he run, he would have an outside chance of winning. Other possible contenders are Acting President Arturas Paulauskas, Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas and former President Valdas Adamkus. June 13 is the same day that voters go to the poll to elect delegates to the European Parliament, the representative body of the European Union.
       (See below for details about the impeachment of Paksas Tuesday.)

Tuesday—April 6, 2004 
VILNIUS (CITY PAPER) In a political climax of the century in Lithuania, parliament Tuesday sacked President Rolandas Paksas after a five-month, sometimes gut-wrenching impeachment process. The 141-seat parliament voted by a very narrow margin to impeach the 47-year-old, who was accused of having links to Russian organized crime. The vote was much closer than expected with each of three charges against him drawing barely over the 85 votes necessary; the first two counts won the approval of 86 lawmakers, and the third was backed by 89. Just one count needed to pass for Paksas to be forced from office. 
       It is the first time in Lithuania's history and one of the first times in Europe that a head of state has been impeached. Many Lithuanians were eager to see Paksas thrown out of office before Lithuania joins the European Union on May 1, saying his presidency was an embarrassment and, to boot, threatened to spoil the nation's image abroad. The scandal erupted late last year when an official report linked Paksas to businessman Yuri Borisov, who allegedly has ties to Russia's mafia. Borisov donated some 400,000 dollars to Paksas in the 2003 election campaign; Paksas went on to an upset victory over then-incumbent Valdas Adamkus. The affair was closely followed by the international press for months. 
      Speaker Arturas Paulauskas becomes the acting president effective immediately and new elections must be held in two months. Paulauskas and former President Adamkus have been mentioned as possible candidates. Paksas could also run, and some of his supporters have urged him to do so. He still has some strong backing in the countryside, where voters have been more inclined to believe his claim that the allegations against him were part of a coordinated conspiracy.
       Because he has been impeached, Paksas now loses all benefits that are normally accorded to former presidents, including a lucrative pension and a government-funded home. He could have kept those privileges by resigning in the 11th hour, but he steadfastly maintained his innocence and refused a torrent of calls for him to step down. 
       The square-jawed Paksas, a one-time stunt pilot champion, was once seen as the golden boy of Lithuanian politics. As Vilnius mayor in the mid-90s, he was credited with reviving the capital's old quarter after 50 years of neglect during Soviet rule. While some committed backers stuck with him, most Lithuanians said they were ashamed by his actions; others said the affair might raise questions about the extent of Russian influence on Lithuanian politics. Lithuanian politicians also said that their deliberate, law-based move to remove Pakas aptly demonstrated the nation’s democratic credentials. 
      Some likened the pilot-president to a kamikaze for what sometimes seemed his self-destructive, even bizarre behavior leading up to Tuesday's vote. Two weeks ago, for instance, he said he was hiring Borisov, the figure at the center of the crisis, as an aide. Paksas reversed that decision after a public outcry, but the incident further entrenched opposition to him. The political turmoil proved a distraction for Lithuania, with parliament absorbed in the complicated impeachment process. Foreign relations were also affected as many dignitaries putting off visits to Lithuania while Paksas was still in power. But the neither the government nor the economy seemed damaged by the crisis: Lithuania's economy continues to grow at an explosive rate, well 5 percent a year; in 2003 it had the highest GDP growth rate in Europe. 

Friday—April 2, 2004
BRUSSELS-BALTICS (CITY PAPER) Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian flags were raised over NATO headquarters in Brussels Friday to ceremonially mark their induction into the alliance earlier in the week—while celebrations were also held the same day in all three Baltic states. National flags flew on government buildings and private homes across the Baltic states Friday for the occasion, and buses in the capitals donned tiny NATO flags; the welcoming ceremonies at NATO's headquarters in the morning were aired live on nationwide TV. Four other ex-communist countries also celebrated receiving their long-awaited NATO-membership cards. "From now on, 26 allies will be joined in a commitment to defend each other's security and territorial integrity," said NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer at the Brussels ceremony. "This is the strongest, most solemn commitment nations can undertake." 
       CNN heralded the day as "the end to the Cold War," while many Balts billed it as the final end of World War II, during which they were occupied and forcibly annexed by the Red Army. Russia, which has expressed displeasure at NATO expansion, was expected to vent its anger at a NATO Council meeting later in the day Friday—at which the Baltics will now be attending as full members for the first time. Russia has been particularly vehement in opposing Baltic entry. One AFP wire report reflected the prevailing mood of the day. It read, "NATO Fete New Members as Party-Pooper Russia Grumbles." 
       (See reports from previous few days for more details on Baltic NATO entry.) 

Wednesday—March 31, 2004
VILNIUS (CITY PAPER) A high court Wednesday declared that President Rolandas Paksas had violated the constitution—opening the way for his ouster from power. Parliament is expected to vote on the impeachment articles within a week or two; legislators had been waiting for this crucial decision from the constitutional court before proceeding. The scandal broke last year when allegations arose that Paksas had links to organized crime. (See reports from the last few weeks for more details.)    

Tuesday—March 30, 2004
(CITY PAPER) Comments from around the world on the induction of the Baltic states into NATO Monday, together with four other ex-communist countries: (Also see Monday report below for more details.) 

"To the seven heads of states here assembled, I say to you and to your people: Welcome to the greatest and most successful alliance in history. Welcome.... NATO is determined above all to prevent aggression. Now it is determined above all to promote freedom, to extend the reach of liberty and to deepen the peace."
—U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell at the induction ceremony in Washington, flanked by the seven prime ministers from the new member countries. 

"As witness to some of the great crimes of the last century, our new members bring moral clarity to the purposes of our alliance. They understand our cause in Afghanistan and in Iraq... because tyranny for them is still a fresh memory. And so now as members of NATO they are stepping forward to secure the lives and freedoms of others." 
—U.S. President George Bush speaking at the induction ceremony. 

"Calm, but negative."
—The Moscow-based Interfax news agency quoting an unnamed Russian official about Russia's reaction to the expansion of NATO Monday.

"If we feel that the situation poses a tangible threat to our security and calls for an appropriate response, there will be such a response." 
—Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Chizhov, as quoted by Russia's Interfax news agency, complaining that the three Baltic states and Slovenia have not joined the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty, saying this created a potentially destabilizing "gray zone" in Europe where NATO could build up forces on Russia's border. 

See a picture of the NATO ceremony at the White House here.


VILNIUS (CITY PAPER) Lithuanian judges Monday convicted French rock star Bertrand Cantat of beating his actress girlfriend Marie Trintignant to death in Vilnius last year and sentenced him to eight years in prison. The 40-year-old lead singer of one of France's most popular bands, Noir Desir, or Black Desire, was charged with manslaughter for killing 41-year-old French actress Trintignant in a hotel room in Lithuania's capital last July. The three-judge panel at the Vilnius District Court could have handed Cantat a maximum 15-year sentence. 
       While she did not speak to journalists as she left after the verdict, the actress's mother told judges during the trial that she wanted the harshest possible penalty for Cantat. "I speak in the name of all the Maries of the world," she said. "I'm thinking of all the women who suffer blows from their husbands and friends. Love is not a license to beat your wife or girlfriend."
       The love affair between the two artists was once the focus of public fascination in France. Trintignant, who often played brutalized women in more than 30 French- and several English-language films, was in Lithuania making a film at the time of the fatal beating.
        During the trial, Cantat admitted he tussled with Trintignant, but insisted her death was a tragic accident. "We loved each other and our love was growing," he told the court as he was questioned by judges, tears welling in his eyes. Family and friends of both Cantat and Trintignant attended, including the actress' mother. Cantat's mother and father, as well as members of his band, sat nearby. Cantat was clean shaven and seemingly calm throughout the trial—in stark contrast to his appearance last year at a pretrial hearing where he looked disheveled and dejected.
       The multimillionaire singer, held in the Czarist-era Lukiskes Prison since his arrest eight months ago, told judges he slapped Trintignant four times in a drunken stupor—contradicting prosecutors who said he fatally punched her at least 19 times in a jealous rage. "Everything happened very fast," he said during the trial. "Never, never did I want things to happen that way. This hand should never have risen. And I do not accept myself having raised this hand." Nadine Trintignant scoffed at Cantat's claim that her daughter's death was unintentional. "He should have stopped after the first blow, but he just kept on beating my Marie," she told the court after Cantat's testimony. "He is a killer."
       An ambulance was called to the hotel at around 7:30 a.m., by which time Trintignant had already been in a coma for two hours. While still in a coma and on life support, she was flown by private jet days later to France—where she died Aug. 1. 
      Her death prompted public soul searching in France about violence against women. While some rallied to the singer-poet's defense, he was reviled by others. His house in France was recently destroyed by fire in mysterious circumstances, with many believing it was a revenge attack for Trintignant's death. 
      Authorities haven't said where Cantat might serve the remainder of his sentence. His lawyers are expected to request that he serve any jail term in France. 
      The daughter of actor Jean-Louis Trintignant was in Lithuania completing a movie called Colette, about an early feminist. Her mother directed the film. Her funeral was at the Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, where writer Oscar Wilde and rock star Jim Morrison are also buried.
       (For additional details, see Tragedy in Vilnius.) 

Monday—March 29, 2004
WASHINGTON-THE BALTICS (CITY PAPER) NATO jet fighters began patrolling over the Baltic states as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania formally enter the alliance Monday at a ceremony in Washington. NATO membership, once a seemingly impossible dream for the Baltics, is widely seen here as a major turning point in the history of this historically vulnerable region. The Baltics have been sucked over the centuries into one power bloc or another over the centuries, and their formal acceptance into NATO marks the first time in modern history that they have joined a military alliance voluntarily. Just 15 years ago, they appeared firmly rooted in the Soviet bloc, with over 100,000 Red Army troops at hundreds of bases and airfields here. 
        The other new members being inducted Monday are Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Slovakia; Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic joined in 1999. Another ceremony welcoming the new members will be held in Brussels on April 2. "In a few days, Lithuania will reach its goal of many years," said Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas last week about NATO entry. "It will become a state free of the fear of being wiped off the map, a state where people can be sure of their future and their children's future." 
        Moscow has long seen the Baltics as its backyard and it long viewed NATO as an arch enemy, so the buzz of NATO jets over the Baltics is certain to have the opposite effect in next-door Russia: Many Russians are likely to be furious. Four Belgian F16s were stationed in Lithuania starting Monday and they will fly regular patrols over all three Baltics from there. "If NATO believes that there is any need for such protection in the Baltic region, Russia reserves the right to draw its own conclusions from it and, if necessary, to act accordingly," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko was quoted by Itar-Tass as saying Tuesday. The Kremlin has criticized NATO expansion as a whole, but has reserved its most vehement opposition for former Soviet subject states—saying they should have been a no-go areas for NATO. Strong Russian opposition to Baltic membership was one reason their entry once seemed so unlikely. That the Baltics had virtually no troops or weapons 13 years ago also hardly made them attractive as anyone's potential ally. Some early units carried hunting rifles. 
        While they started at a disadvantage compared to other Eastern European nations, which did have armies to their names as communism crumbled, the Baltics have built up their combined troop numbers to some 20,000. Shotguns have since been ditched in favor of sleeker guns, including American-made M14s and Israeli Galil rifles. With NATO's help, they also built a new pan-Baltic radar network, key parts of which are located on former Soviet bases. Until it began working in 2000, any plane, friend or foe, could cruise undetected through Baltic air space by switching off their on-board transponders. Russia claimed the radar will be used by NATO to spy deep into Russia, something NATO has denied. 
        The alliance has sought to soothe Baltic anxieties that, out of deference to nuclear-power Russia, the alliance might back away from establishing any overt, physical presence in the area. During a recent two-day tour of the Baltics earlier this month, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer promised that this region would enjoy the same protection of any member. "NATO doesn't know A-grade and B-grade allies," he said. "NATO only knows allies." He pledged that NATO would also quickly fill the air-defense gap in the Baltic states, which have no fighter planes of their own and just a handful of anti-aircraft weapons. NATO planes normally intercept any unauthorized aircraft flying over a member nation's territory. "If Estonia is a NATO nation, there is no such thing as territorial defense in that Estonia has to do it all own its own," he said in Tallinn. "NATO will vouch for it."
        While NATO is careful never to identify Russia as a potential enemy, most Balts are quick to point to their eastern neighbor as reason No. 1 for wanting to be under NATO's protective wing. Speaking in a recent interview in Estonia's Postimees daily Wednesday, Estonia's Foreign Minister Kristiina Ojuland harkened back to the 50-year occupation by Red Army. "We cannot forget or undervalue what has happened in history, and it is absolutely irresponsible to say that the Russian danger is now over for all time—that it can never recur," she was quoted as telling the newspaper. She was quick to add, however, that the threat posed by Russia should not be exaggerated, saying "the actual risks now come from elsewhere," from global terrorism. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have sent troops to Afghanistan and Iraq, saying they wanted to contribute to international stability as soon-to-be NATO members.
       The chair of the Estonian parliament's foreign affairs committee, Marko Mihkelson, said the ever higher profile of the Baltics in NATO clearly irked Moscow, which, he said, wanted to keep the Baltics in a Russian sphere of influence. He said Baltic membership in NATO, as well as their entry into the European Union on May 1, would drive home what he said was a new if unpleasant reality to Russia. "Estonia is no longer caught between anyone," he said. "But it'll take a long time for Russia to realize this...that Estonia is firmly entrenched in the West."
      (From the CITY PAPER archives on NATO membership, see NATO Bound and On the Line; also see NATO: Yes and No, an old debate on the merits of membership from 10 years ago. Baltic NATO entry has long since become widely accepted in the United States and Europe.)

Friday—March 26, 2004
VILNIUS (CITY PAPER) President Rolandas Paksas frantically backpedaled in a desperate and apparently futile bid to save his presidency after naming the man at the center of a presidential scandal as a chief adviser earlier this week. After facing fierce criticism for hiring Yuri Borisov, who allegedly has ties to Russia's mafia, Paksas withdrew the appointment and apologized in a televised address Thursday night. He said he had nearly "made a made a fatal mistake" and "I sincerely apologize to everyone who was offended by my action." Paksas also dramatically claimed he was blackmailed into appointing Borisov, though most observers appeared to shrug off that claim, believing the president made it up to deflect criticism. Others said the debacle would only hasten the president's fall; he is already facing impeachment proceedings, which are expected to culminate in a vote to oust him from office next month. 
      (See report below for more details on the Borisov appointment.) 

Wednesday—March 24, 2004
VILNIUS (CITY PAPER) Lithuanian President Rolandas Paksas, who faces impeachment for alleged links to organized crime, named the man at the center of the presidential scandal as a chief adviser on Wednesday, prompting sharp denunciations and expressions of disbelief. The president's office said Yuri Borisov, who police say has ties to Russia's mafia, will take up a post inside the presidential palace, advising Paksas on a range of social issues.
       Parliament launched impeachment proceedings against Paksas late last year following reports he helped Borisov receive a Lithuanian passport. That citizenship was recently revoked after a constitutional court ruled Paksas had acted illegally. Borisov, a businessman who holds a Russian passport, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. 
       The scandal shocked Lithuanians as it broke last year, with many people saying they feared it would tarnish the country's image just as it joins the European Union in May. Many Lithuanians were jolted again as news spread Wednesday that Paksas had hired Borisov.
       The president told reporters Wednesday he wasn't worried the appointment would further entrench already deep opposition to him and ensure legislators vote to oust him. That vote is expected within several weeks as the impeachment process reaches its decisive climax. 
       Borisov, flanked by private body guards, told journalists after meeting with Paksas earlier Wednesday that his duties would include advising Paksas about how to respond to the impeachment proceedings
       After his Lithuanian citizenship was revoked early this year, the Migration Department refused to grant Borisov a residency permit, warning he would be deported if he did not leave voluntarily. But he appealed the decision and can stay in the country until a final ruling. 
     Borisov donated some 450,000 dollars to the Paksas election campaign last year, money that was said to be key to his upset win over incumbent Valdas Adamkus. 

Tuesday—March 23, 2004
TALLINN (CITY PAPER) Moscow is kicking two Estonian diplomats out of Russia in a tit-for-tat retaliation just days after Estonia sent two Russian embassy staff packing for alleged spying. A Kremlin statement released Monday said the Estonians were being expelled "for carrying out activities which are incompatible with their statute," which is traditionally taken as an accusation of espionage. The unnamed officials were declared personae non gratae and given 48 hours to pack up and leave.
       The back-and-forth expulsions come just before the Baltics are slated to enter NATO and the EU and appear to illustrate that Baltic-Russian relations are at one of their lowest points in years. "The expulsion of diplomats is always perceived as an extreme measure, one which is seen in the affected country as a step which is absolutely hostile," Konstantin Kosachov, who chairs the Russian parliament's foreign affairs committee, was quoted as saying about the Estonian expulsions of the two Russians. He went on to say that there appears to be a conspiracy among the the three Baltics to humiliate Russia. "It gives the impression that we are facing a coordinated campaign."
       (For details about the Russians expelled from Estonia, see Monday report immediately below. Relatedly, from CITY PAPER's archives, see  Spies in the Baltics.)

Monday—March 22, 2004
TALLINN (CITY PAPER) Estonia said Monday it expelled two Russian diplomats in the second case of alleged espionage in the EU- and NATO-bound Baltic states in less than a month. Some Balts have expressed concern Moscow may be stepping up intelligence activities in the region as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania prepare to join the European Union and NATO within several weeks.
       The expulsions of the lower-level officials at Russia's embassy in Tallinn, occurred late last week. But the incident was only reported over the weekend by Estonia's Päevaleht daily, which cited unnamed sources. Estonian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ehtel Halliste confirmed for the first time Monday that two Russian diplomats were ordered to leave, though she declined to provide any further details. Päevaleht said the Russians may have tried to test Estonia's ability to protect secret data. Lithuania ordered out three Russian diplomats on suspicion of espionage at the end of February; it accused them, among other things, of trying to buy NATO- and EU-related documents.
       Estonia fully expected retaliatory expulsions by Moscow, Päevaleht said. The last round of tit-for-tat expulsions was in 2000, though there were several in the years after the Baltics regained independence amid the 1991 Soviet collapse.
       Russians maintain a vast spying network in the Baltics, argued Lithuanian parliamentarian Rasa Jukneviciene, echoing widespread distrust of Moscow across the region. "It's been no secret Russia has great interests in Lithuania," he said after his country expelled the three Russian officials last month. "Soviet tanks left long ago, but their agents are still here." Moscow also has accused the Baltics of spying, including by using new radars to monitor air traffic deep inside Russia. Baltic officials deny the charge, saying they have no need to spy. 
       Russian-Baltic relations, always cool, have become even frostier in the run up to Baltic EU and NATO entry; the Kremlin has said Baltic NATO membership would be perceived as a threat to Russia. They will join the EU on May 1 and are inducted into the NATO alliance next week. The Baltics say Moscow is frustrated about Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania leaving its sphere of influence for good. "Estonia is no longer caught between anyone," said the chair of the Estonian parliament's foreign affairs committee, speaking before the report about the diplomatic expulsions. "But it'll take a long time for Russia to realize this...that Estonia is firmly entrenched in the West."

Wednesday—March 17, 2004
TALLINN (CITY PAPER) Estonia's entry into the European Union on May 1 has forced nearby Finland to slash taxes on alcohol in its market, prompting a boom in liquor sales in the country. Finland cut its steep alcohol tax by 33 percent in March in order to prevent a surge of cheap imports from Estonia once it joins the EU; membership will make the two nations part of one common market and bring down existing trade barriers. But many analysts still expect Estonian-bound Finns to go on a booze buying binge with prices of hard liquor in Estonia likely to remain well below average prices in Finland. A mandated end to all quotas and other previous Finnish restrictions means Finns will effectively be able to bring home as much alcohol from Estonia as they can carry. Some predictions are that imports of personal-use alcohol from Estonia could increase by as much as five times despite the Finnish government's attempts to prevent that from happening. Finnish tourists dragging boxes full of beer and spirits onto ferries has already been a common site at Tallinn's harbors for a decade; 80 percent-proof Estonian vodka is said to be in particularly high demand. 

Tuesday—March 16, 2004
VILNIUS (CITY PAPER) A drama revolving around charges that a French rock star beat his movie-star girlfriend to death began playing to a crowded courtroom in Lithuania's capital Tuesday—in what many in France see as the trial of the century. Over 200 mostly French reporters are in Vilnius to cover the proceedings against 40-year-old Bertrand Cantat, lead singer of France's top-selling rock band, Noir Desir, or Black Desire. He's charged with killing French actress Marie Trintignant in a hotel room here last July. 
       The multimillionaire singer, held in the Czarist-era Lukiskes Prison since his arrest eight months ago, is expected to plead not guilty. If the three-judge panel at the Vilnius District Court convicts Cantat on the manslaughter charges, he faces a maximum 15-year jail sentence. A verdict and sentence in the trial could be handed down as soon as this week. The actress's mother, Nadine Trintignant, was quoted as telling Germany's Stern magazine last month that she wanted the harshest possible penalty for Cantat. 
      "I can't bear the thought that one day he'll be able to take strolls in the street, sit in a cafe, take his children onto his lap, when my daughter can't do such things any more," she said. 
       A request by Cantat to be tried in France was denied last year by Lithuanian authorities, who would have seen any such move as an admission that justice can't be properly served here. Cantat's friends say they worry about the prospect of him spending years in Soviet-built prisons in Lithuania, which, while upgraded since the Baltic state regained independence during the 1991 Soviet collapse, remain overcrowded and poorly kept compared to French jails.
       The case has gripped and horrified France, where the love affair between the artists was once the focus of public fascination. Her death has since prompted public soul searching about violence against women and whether French society does enough to prevent such abuse. "It's an intimate tragedy transformed into a collective nightmare," wrote France's Liberation daily last year, adding the two had been "the ideal bohemian couple, a marriage of music without concession and cinema without compromise fit to carry the dreams of a generation." Some fans have rallied to the singer-poet's defense. But the one-time champion of left-wing causes is reviled by others. His house in southwestern France was recently destroyed by fire in mysterious circumstances, with many believing it was a revenge attack for Trintignant's death.
       Cantat claims he slapped the 41-year-old in the Domina Plaza Hotel in a drunken stupor on July 27—but insists her death was accidental, his lawyer said. Prosecutors say he punched the actress in a jealous rage and while relatively sober, delivering several fatal blows to her head. An ambulance was called to the hotel at around 7:30 a.m., by which time Trintignant had already been in a coma for some two hours, doctors said. While still in a coma and on life support, she was flown by private jet days later to France—dying the next day, Aug. 1. 
       The daughter of actor Jean-Louis Trintignant was in Lithuania completing a movie called Colette, about an early feminist; her mother Nadine directed the film. The actress was celebrated for often playing brutalized women in over 30 French- and several English-language films. Her funeral at the Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, where writer Oscar Wilde and rock star Jim Morrison are also buried, was attended by her parents and four children. Actress Catherine Deneuve and recent French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin were among scores of VIPs in attendence. As a tribute, Trintignant's mother said she was determined to complete the French-Lithuanian production of Colette, saying the unshot footage was not essential. Nadine Trintignant recently published a book entitled "My Daughter Marie." In often emotional reminiscences, she does not name Cantat directly— simply referring throughout to "the murderer."
      (For additional details, see Tragedy in Vilnius.) 

Thursday—March 11, 2004
TALLINN (CITY PAPER) NATO assured the Baltic states Thursday that they won't be B-grade members when they join the alliance next month in what historically vulnerable Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania see as their most momentous steps ever toward ensuring long-term security. The pledge by NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer came during a two-day tour of the Baltic nations, which formally enter the U.S.-lead organization on April 2. "NATO doesn't know A-grade and B-grade allies," he told a news conference in Riga on the first leg of his pan-Baltic visit. "NATO only knows allies. Later the same day in Tallinn, he made a similar vow. "If Estonia is a NATO nation, there is no such thing as territorial defense in that Estonia has to do it all own its own," he said. "NATO will vouch for it." De Hoop Scheffer concludes his tours of the Baltics in Lithuania on Friday. 
       The Baltics, which, combined, have less than 20,000 troops, point to Russia as reason No. 1 for wanting to snuggle under NATO's protective wing. But questions have been raised for years about whether NATO would or could defend them, especially if threatened by neighboring Russia. That issue came up again in Estonia this week after officials said local newspaper reports that Russian fighters violated Estonian airspace last year were true. Moscow denied the report. 
       Without directly addressing the dispute, de Hoop Scheffer said violations of Baltic airspace would be treated the same way as violations over any NATO territory; NATO planes are normally required to intercept any unauthorized aircraft flying over a member nation's territory. "NATO solidarity and being a member means having the guarantees that NATO airspace will be covered," he said. He denied reports that a decision had already been made to station jets from NATO-member Denmark in the Baltic states starting next month to monitor the region's airspace. The Baltics don't have a single fighter plane of their own, and Scheffer said they had been advised by NATO not to set up full-fledged air forces—that NATO would fill that gap. 
       As a last step in the process toward membership, the Baltics recently ratified their NATO accession agreements. "Our affiliation with the world's largest defense organization provides Estonia with a kind of security guarantee that it lacked throughout the whole of its history," Estonian Prime Minister Juhan Parts told Estonia's parliament Wednesday at it ratified its NATO agreement. 
        Seven ex-communist nations are slated to join NATO next month, also including Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. Because of once-vehement Russian objections to membership for ex-Soviet republics, the Baltic bids were seen as far more contentious than the others _ and they were initially considered long shots. The Kremlin said it would see Baltic membership as a threat to Russian security.
       Moscow in recent months has accused the Baltic states of spying on Russia on NATO's behalf, including by using a new pan-Baltic radar network. Baltic governments have rejected the claim.
       (From the CITY PAPER archives, also see Alliance Bound.)

Monday—March 8, 2004
VILNIUS (CITY PAPER) Lithuania's parliament began hearing evidence Monday in an impeachment process that is expected to culminate in a vote ousting President Rolandas Paksas just days before the Baltic state joins the European Union on May 1. This is the legislative trial phase of impeachment proceedings that were launched at the end of last year following allegations Paksas has links to Russian organized crime; a supreme court judge is presiding over the hearing. Lithuanians dreamed for at least a decade about entering the EU, and many say they are concerned that the presidential scandal is sullying the country's reputation. Paksas opponents say they are determined to see him gone by the time official EU flags are raised over the country in less than two months. (See reports from previous weeks for more details.)

Also see the new feature article posted on this site—Shipwrecked, about some 100,000 ships below the Baltic Sea that hold secrets to the past.  

Friday—March 5, 2004
VILNIUS (CITY PAPER) Journalists from France and around Europe are expected to pour into Vilnius for what many in francophone countries see as the trial of the 21st century. The trial on manslaughter charges of French rock star Bertrand Cantat is slated to begin March 16 and several hundred reporters will descend on the city in one of the biggest international media events here in a decade.
       Lithuanian prosecutors have said they are confident they can convict Cantat for killing his actress girlfriend Marie Trintignant in Vilnius last year. He faces up to 15 years in jail for manslaughter. 
       The death of Trintignant, renowned in her home country for dozens of well-received films, caused a sensation in France. The relationship between Cantat, lead singer of the popular rock group Noir Desir, had been touted as the love affair of the decade. The violent death of Trintignant—allegedly after Cantat beat her during a fight in her hotel room—was front page news in France for weeks. 
       (For a full account of the actress's death in Lithuania and Cantat's imprisonment see CITY PAPER's Tragedy in Vilnius.)

Wednesday—March 3, 2004
VILNIUS (CITY PAPER) Articles in a leading Lithuanian newspaper saying Jews "ruled the world" were sharply condemned in Lithuania and abroad, with the controversy purportedly connected to the impeachment hearings against current President Rolandas Paksas. The pieces in the popular Respublika daily—penned by editor Vytas Tomkus—included a crude caricature of a Jewish figure holding up a globe. Under the headline "Who Rules the World?" Tomkus wrote that "we should be especially careful with Americans, because America is ruled by Jews" and that Jews "use the issue of the Holocaust to conceal their own crimes;" the articles hinted strongly that Jews and also gays were behind the drive to depose Paksas. The series ran over three days, starting February 20.
       Israel's Foreign Ministry reportedly summoned Lithuanian Ambassador to Israel Alfonsas Eidintas to register its protest. "That the baseless anti-Semitic canard that 'the Jews' control the world can be published on the first page of an ostensibly respectable Lithuanian newspaper in the year 2004... is simply outrageous," Efraim Zuroff, director of the Wiesenthal Center in Jerusalem, added in a letter to Eidintas.
        In its response Tuesday, Lithuania's Foreign Ministry said it "categorically condemns religious, anti-Semitic, racial and other kinds of manifestations of intolerance." Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas said that "such provocations hurt Lithuania's image as a democratic, tolerant society." Parliamentary Chairman Arturas Paulauskas asked prosecutors to investigate whether Tomkus violated laws that prohibit the incitement of racial hatred.
        Respublika has been an outspoken defender of embattled President Paksas, who faces impeachment over alleged links to organized crime. Respublika appeared to be trying to deflect attention away from the president by publishing these and other inflammatory articles. A vote on whether to oust Paksas, who has denied wrongdoing, is expected next month; he is expected to be voted out of office.

Monday—March 1, 2004
TALLINN (CITY PAPER) Estonians expressed shock and sadness after news broke across this close-knit nation of the country's first casualty in Iraq—which was also the first death of a soldier in an Estonian uniform since before War War II; most commentators also said that, despite the tragedy, Estonia should continue its mission in the Persian Gulf. "Until now this has been a foreign war to Estonia," the Postimees daily wrote in an editorial Monday. "Now it’s bitterly been made our own."  "Estonia is in mourning," said Estonian President Arnold Rüütel in a Sunday statement. "The death of this brave young man in Iraq is an irreplaceable loss to his family and to all of Estonia." "This is shocking for Estonians," said Marko Mihkelson, chairman of the Estonian parliament's foreign affairs committee. "Everyone understood the potential dangers, even this soldier. But for such a small country that hasn't seen this loss before, it is especially upsetting." 
       Earlier, Estonian Prime Minister Juhan Parts called on his countryman to pray for the solider who died—21-year-old Andres Nuiamäe—as they gathered at church services Sunday. People also began filing into the Defense Ministry in Estonia's snow-covered capital, Tallinn, to sign a book of condolences—set in a hallway next to a candle, a blue, black and white Estonian flag, and a picture of the sandy-haired, blue-eyed Nuiamäe. The junior sergeant was killed late Saturday in Baghdad while on patrol near the Abu Ghuraib market; no one else was hurt in the explosion of a makeshift bomb that killed the Estonian instantly. He was the first coalition soldier killed in an attack since February 19. 
       The United States expressed its condolences through a statement from its Tallinn embassy. "Andres Nuiamäe fell in the service of his country while performing a globally vital mission in bringing stability to Iraq, serving side by side with American forces," it said. "His service contributed to achieving freedom for an oppressed people and increased security for people everywhere. 
       Estonia's pro-U.S. leadership said it had no intention of pulling the 45 Estonian troops out of Iraq—all of whom volunteered for the mission—as a result of the killing. The prime minister insisted it only drove home the importance of a military presence in the Persian Gulf.  Most newspaper editorial Monday seemed to concur, saying that whatever the original reasons for joining the Americans, Estonia made a commitment in Iraq that it now must fulfill. "How can we expect other countries to come to our aide in the future if we don't agree to come to theirs now in Iraq, if we left Iraq," said Toomas Sildam, a commentator on military affairs. In the first few days after the death of the Estonian soldier there were no prominent figures calling on the peacekeeping troops to be withdrawn.
       The government would go ahead with plans to ask parliament to extend the mission into 2005, a request that was recently submitted to the legislature, Parts said; a vote is expected in two weeks. Parts said the Estonian soldier's death was no grounds to reconsider Estonia's Iraq policy. "What happened is an inevitability of military work," he said. "But this is not a reason to abandon the goals we have set ourselves in ensuring Estonia's security." Signaling that resolve, a replacement for Nuiamäe had already been chosen and would head to Iraq soon, said Peeter Tali, a spokesman for Estonia's military, which numbers under 5,000 troops. "This is our duty to be where there is danger, to help provide security and peace," he said. "This is the price you pay for freedom." The Defense Ministry also announced Sunday that, in accordance with national law, the dead soldier's family would be paid some 160,000 dollars in compensation. 
       Reaction Sunday focused on offering condolences to the family, though his death could prompt debate about whether Estonia should scale down its presence in Iraq or end it entirely. "Emotion will be up," said Mihkelson, a staunch backer of the Iraq mission. "And it is a natural question to ask why we're there and it should be asked. The government should answer the questions again...And it can answer that question." Most Estonian media outlets were closed Sunday as the first reports of the incident circulated, though thousands of people left messages on the country's popular www.delfi.ee new page throughout the day—with commentators evenly split about whether Estonia should stay on in Iraq or leave. 
       Scores of Estonians died fighting Red Army units during the nation's fifty years under Soviet occupation, which started in 1940; tens of thousands of Estonians were also drafted into the Nazi army during the 1941-44 Germany occupation, and thousands died. But the death Sunday was the first of an Estonian fighting for an independent Estonian army abroad as far back as 1920, when the Baltic Sea coast nation fought its war of independence against Russians and Germans.
       The deployment of the Estonian soldiers last summer drew criticism from some quarters that the country was pandering to Washington. But there were virtually no street protests and most mainstream parties, even those in opposition, backed the mission. 
       Latvia and Lithuania also have troops in Iraq. None has been killed to date. 
      (The Defense Ministry has opened up an online book of condolences, where comments can be left in both English and Estonian; it's at http://www.mod.gov.ee)

Friday—February 27, 2004
VILNIUS (CITY PAPER) Lithuania said Friday it has expelled three Russian diplomats on suspicion of espionage, raising some fears here that Moscow that might be stepping up intelligence activities as the Baltics prepare to join the European Union and NATO this year.  The Russians were expelled on Feb. 20 for trying to gather information about the impeachment of President Rolandas Paksas "in an improper and illegal way," Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis told a hastily called news conference Friday; he gave a brief statement and did not take questions. Paksas has been accused of having links to Russian organized crime. Impeachment proceedings against him were started late last year.
       Valionis also accused the unnamed Russian diplomat—who he said had worked at Russia's embassy in Vilnius—of "interfering in the Lithuanian privatization process." He provided no additional details. Since Lithuania cast off communist rule 13 years ago, Russian investors have bid for several key state-owned Lithuanian companies put on the auction bloc; Russians have showed a particular interest in oil- and gas-related firms. 
       Relations between Russia and its Baltic neighbors have occasionally been strained since they regained independence. Over the past five years, there have been several incidents of tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions. Moscow was expected to soon give several Lithuanian diplomats their march orders in response to Lithuania's moves this month. 
       Russia has also accused the Baltic states of spying on Russia. Baltic governments have dismissed the accusations, saying they have no need to spy on Russia.
       (Relatedly, see  Spies in the Baltics.) 

TALLINN (CITY PAPER) Supermodel Carmen Kass has stepped off the catwalk and thrown her designer hat into the political ring in her home country of Estonia. The 25-year-old joined the ruling Res Publica Friday and may soon run for a seat in the European Union's parliament, the pro-business Estonian party said in a statement. "Carmen has lots of good ideas," insisted Res Publica spokeswoman Relika Alliksaar, responding to doubts in some quarters about the model's qualifications for public office. 
       Alliksaar added that the frequent Vogue cover girl could use her fame to generate interest in Estonia. Kass, she argued, could also spark more passion about politics among young people. Estonia will enter the EU in May along with nine other mainly former communist countries. Elections to the European Parliament will be held in June.
       Res Publica quoted Kass as saying she was "very seriously" considering standing as a candidate but "didn't want to rush into it." Speculation about Kass's political ambitions first arose Tuesday when she showed up at a presidential ball with Urmas Reinsalu, a leader of Res Publica—Latin for Republican Party. The blond, blue-eyed millionaire, who has dubbed herself "Estonia's richest woman," hasn't been involved in Estonian politics before. Kass, discovered by a scout in an Estonian supermarket when she was 14, works much of the year in New York City. She won the coveted VH1/Vogue Model of the Year title in 2000.
   (Also see Model City and Fashion Model Mania.) 

Wednesday—February 25, 2004
RIGA (CITY PAPER) The following is a brief excerpt from a New York Times commentary by conservative columnist William Safire, who was in Latvia earlier this month; it was titled Return to Riga: 

...The streets of Riga (15 yeas ago) were dismal; the gray buildings were crumbling; the faces of Latvians, whenever they looked up, were expressionless. There was no place to buy a cup of coffee, lest people congregate. No telephone books were printed, lest people communicate. Americans who never visited the Soviet Union or its captive nations cannot imagine the palpable weight of oppression everywhere.... 
       I took a stroll around the center of Riga (this month) with my friend Ojars Kalnins, now a spokesman for his nation. We were joined by Sarmite Elerte, editor of the newspaper Diena and one of the best journalists in Europe.
       Sarmite is the dissident who was my resistance contact in the Soviet days. "Do you feel the difference in the atmosphere here now? The streets are active, and doors are not shut. Cafes are open with delicious cakes, we have bookstores, antiques, new arts, and" she pointed to an old-new purple structure "buildings have their colors back. The people talk to each other, and look right at you and not at their feet all the time." 
       Latvians, new to democracy, are trying to embrace Europe without forgetting that America is their most reliable friend. In the same way, my other favorite pushed-around people the Kurds of Iraq have emerged from a U.S.-protected decade of tribal rivalries to show other Iraqi Muslims how their regional parliamentary progress can be a national example.
       Democracy is heady wine and causes initial hangovers. But given a chance to become a habit, the exhilarating experience of freedom enriches and ennobles people. That's hard to believe until you've seen it with your own eyes. 

Tuesday—February 24, 2004
BRUSSELS (CITY PAPER) The European Union has warned Russia to ease its political and economic pressure on the Baltic states and the rest of Eastern Europe or "risk a serious impact on relations." In one of the strongest statements of its kind ever directed at Russia, the EU threatened sanctions against Moscow if it did not commit to fully normalizing its relations with former Soviet bloc countries that will soon join the EU. Russia has already signed wide-raging agreements with the existing 15 EU nations, but it has signaled that it does not intend to accord the same treatment to the newcomer members. In a draft text released Monday, the EU said that Russia should extend the same treatment to all 10 incoming states, "without pre-condition or distinction".
       The Kremlin has said that it wants to maintain separate trade relations with the ex-communist states soon too enter the bloc, including punitive double tariffs it has had on Estonia for almost a decade; EU officials have said specifically in the past the Moscow must drop those duties on Estonia, saying they would be a violation of existing EU accords. 
       The EU has dismissed Russian claims that its motivations are purely economic, saying instead that Moscow was trying to maintain a degree of control over its one-time subject states. "We are not going to let them blackmail us," the AFP quoted one unnamed EU official as saying. "They're behaving extremely badly, so we're sending them a clear message that the EU will not be pushed around." 
       The EU statement has been widely welcomed in the Baltic states, where politicians in the Baltics have long argued that the EU would help stave off pressure from Russia. They will almost certainly see Monday’s statement as vindication of that claim.

Monday—February 23, 2004
RIGA (CITY PAPER) Latvia's prime minister-designate Indulis Emsis scrambled Monday to find the support he needs in parliament to put together a new government, which would be Latvia's 11th in 13 years. But it wasn't at all clear that he would succeed, with other key politicians expressing little confidence in the Union of Farmers and Greens member. The 52-year-old Emsis, who has never had a high profile in political circles here, was nominated by Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga on Friday as a compromise candidate. (See Friday report below for further details about his nomination and the collapse of the Repse government.) But Latvian parties themselves do not seem to be in a compromising frame of mind, with reports of bitter acrimony behind the scenes. One sticking point appears to be the question of which local powers back which parties, with the center-right Union of Farmers and Greens widely seen as being funded by multi-millionaire Aivars Lembergs. The controversial transit-oil mogul is seen as an arch enemy of Andris Skele, a multi-millionaire food and drinks manufacturer who heads the People's Party, yet another center-right party that would almost have to be part of Emsis' coalition. Complicating the political algebra even further is that outgoing prime minister Repse, who heads the center-right New Era, has also been at loggerheads with both Skele and Lembergs in the past. Amid all the ill feeling, hammering out a new ruling coalition will be extremely difficult—if not impossible. 

Friday—February 20, 2004
RIGA (CITY PAPER) Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga on Friday named a relative unknown politician to be the country’s next prime minister. The nomination of Indulis Emsis, a leader in the center-right Union Farmers and Greens, was seen as a compromise among better known but more controversial alternatives.
        Latvia's year-old government collapsed early this month after center-right Prime Minister Einars Repse said his position was no longer tenable. One of his coalition partners had already left following months of infighting. 
        But one center-right government is likely to follow another, with Emsis signaling that he wants as broad a right-leaning government as possible. The 52-year-old is expected to aim at bringing all five center-right parties into his would-be government, though many of their leaders deeply dislike each other.
       The president said that she wanted a stable and strong government in place as the country joined the EU on May 1, and she told reporters Friday that Emsis had what it took to put one together. “Emsis has all the right governmental principles, including a commitment to fighting corruption and to working transparently." 
       Some media described Emsis as the first so called Green prime minister in Europe; his party, however, is considered far more conservative than traditional European Green parties and environmental issues weren’t expected to be top priorities in his administration.
      If he is successful at hammering together a new ruling coalition and winning parliamentary approval, his will be Latvia’s 11th government in 13 years. With ever-fragmented parliaments  and a tendency for ruling parties to bicker amongst themselves, few have survived more than a year and not a single one has lasted a full term. 

Wednesday—February 18, 2004
VILNIUS (CITY PAPER) A Lithuanian parliament commission found Wednesday that six out of six impeachment charges against President Rolandas Paksas had foundation—an important legal step along the road to his expected impeachment. The ruling that Paksas, among other things, violated the constitution,  clears the way for the rest of the legislature to vote on ousting him sometime in April. 
       Uncomfortably for many Lithuanians, the impeachment vote could come on the very eve of the country's long-awaited entry into the European Union, possibly drawing the world's attention away from the Baltic state's accomplishments at the historic turning point.  
       If and when Paksas is impeached, Parliament Speaker Arturas Paulauskas would take over as a caretaker president until new elections could be held two months later. The frontrunner for any such election is clear, with some pegging popular former President Valdas Adamkus as a likely winner, or Paulauskas himself. Paksas, in theory, could also run again.
       The impeachment proceedings were started at the end of last year following allegations that Paksas had links to Russian organized crime. 

Tuesday—February 17, 2004
TALLINN (CITY PAPER) Estonia—along with Russia and Ukraine—were singled out Tuesday by a major UN report as having among the most alarming HIV infection rates in the world. The UN said these three countries and all of Eastern Europe faced a potential AIDS crisis that could cost tens of thousands of lives and badly undermine economic development. 
       "Growth rates in new HIV infections reported over the last several years in Estonia, Russia and Ukraine are among the world's highest," the UN report said. "Upwards of one out of every 100 adults living in these three countries is now estimated to be carrying the virus—a threshold above which efforts to turn back the epidemic have failed in many other countries." 
       The UN said increased heroin and other intravenous drug use, coupled with unprotected sex, were primarily responsible for the rapid spread of the deadly disease. It added that "insufficient public awareness, frequent stigmatization and inadequate disease control policies" were contributing factors to the rise of HIV infection. The report, called Reversing the Epidemic: Facts and Policy Options, says the region's high-risk groups include injecting drug users, prisoners, sex workers, migrants and internally displaced people.  
       In the first comprehensive study of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 28 countries of East and South Eastern Europe, the Baltics and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the UN concluded that 1.8 million, or 0.9 per cent of all adults in the region, mainly men under 30, are infected with HIV/AIDS.  
       The study predicts that the epidemic will put new strains on already overburdened social protection systems and increased health expenditures to treat people living  with AIDS could consume 1 to 3 per cent of annual gross domestic product. Premature morbidity and mortality during the years of people's highest productive and reproductive capacities could reduce annual GDP growth by 1 per cent, a tremendous impact for any country, UNDP says. 
       In a less comprehensive November report, the UN named both Estonia and Latvia as among the worst affected nations in Eastern Europe, where, according to its figures, a high 1 percent of the populations injected drugs—putting the countries at especially high risk. 
       Overall in countries that once made up the Soviet-bloc states, some 230,000 people were newly infected in 2003 alone—bringing the total tally of people with the HIV virus or AIDS itself to 1.5 million plus; nearly 30,000 people have died. 
       The UN said the fact that HIV is being spread by younger people did not bode well, saying that made it all the more likely that it would spread more quickly into the general population. 
       (Also see related excerpt from The New York Times below.)

Friday—February 13, 2004
RIGA (CITY PAPER) Nearly 50 people died on Latvian roads in January, an unusually high figure even for a country known for its notoriously dangerous roads. The 49 people killed last month is almost double the number for the same period a year before, police said in a statement this week. 
       There were 483 deaths on Latvian roads in 2003, with nearly 50,000 car accidents in total; nearly 7,000 people received injuries of some sort. Several years ago, Latvia (pop. 2.3 million) was listed in the Guinness World Book of Records as having the highest per capita road deaths in the world—with a rate two or three times higher than nations in Western Europe. Rates in Lithuania and Estonia have been similarly high. 
       (From the CITY PAPER archives, also see A Deathly Drive—about treacherous driving in the Baltics.)

Thursday—February 12, 2004
RIGA (CITY PAPER) Keeping an Eye on the Russian Bear: Excerpts from a Tuesday commentary by William Safire in Tuesday’s New York Times: 

...The Baltic states' surge toward independence in 1989 was the first sign of the impending crackup of the Soviet Union. The West's coming inclusion of those three states in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization redresses a horrific Hitler-Stalin wrong, but is galling to Moscow, which has been fostering resentment among ethnic Russians implanted there since Stalin's time...
       At the 40th Wehrkunde Conference in Munich (this week), Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov unloaded on the West...Looking hard at Senator John McCain, Ivanov said, "One of the major priorities of the Russian foreign policy is our relationship with our closest neighbors ... relations with the Commonwealth of Independent States are in no way a hallmark of Russian-brand 'neo-imperialism,' as some try to depict it, but an imperative for security."
       McCain is no Neville Chamberlain. "Under President Putin," he responded, "Russia has refused to comply with the terms of the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe. Russian troops occupy parts of Georgia and Moldova ... Russian agents are working to bring Ukraine further into Moscow's orbit. Russian support sustains Europe's last dictatorship in Belarus. And Moscow has ... enforced its stranglehold on energy supplies into Latvia in order to squeeze the democratic government in Riga."
       Speaking with the freedom of a senator, McCain said, "Undemocratic behavior and threats to the sovereignty and liberty of her neighbors will not profit Russia ... but will exclude her from the company of Western democracies."
       As its role becomes global, NATO must not lose its original purpose: to contain the Russian bear.

Wednesday—February 11, 2004
RIGA (CITY PAPER) Acclaimed Latvian basketball player Raimonds Jumikis, 23, died of an apparent heart attack while playing in a Swedish league game Tuesday. He played for Sweden's professional Akropol BBK and collapsed during the second quarter of a match against Jamtland. Medical teams attempted to revive him, but he reportedly died on the scene. Jumikis, who had played with Latvia's National Team, was considered one of the best players in the Swedish premiere league. Another promising Latvian basketball player, Janis Cekuls, died under similar circumstances in the United States last year. 

Monday—February 9, 2004
LOS ANGELES (CITY PAPER) Estonian musicians won a Grammy at an awards ceremony in Los Angeles Sunday, one of the first for Baltic performers. The coveted prize, in the “choral performance” category, went to a recording of Sibelius' Cantatas, conducted by celebrated Estonian-born conductor Paavo Järvi. He led the highly acclaimed Estonian National Male Choir, the Ellerhein girls' choir and the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra.
       (Also see Bravo Paavo!, a recent CITY PAPER interview with Järvi, the current musical director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.) 

RIGA (CITY PAPER) Five left-wing deputies split with the People's Harmony party and joined more conservative Latvia’s First, dramatically increasing the likelihood that four center-right parties can now form a new government on their own. They would now be able to put together a majority coalition without  the participation of Einars Repse, the outgoing prime minister and head of New Era, who is widely disliked  by other center-right leaders. The defections would seem to increase the chances that Andris Skele—a former prime minister, a top Latvian industrialist and leader of the People’s Party—will roar back to power; he and Repse are bitter political enemies. 
      The five who jumped the People's Harmony ship are mostly Russian speakers who said they were lured by the possibility of giving Latvia's Russians more of a say in making government policy.
       (See previous days reports for more on the collapse of the government last week.) 

Friday—February 6, 2004 
RIGA (CITY PAPER) Latvia's government has collapsed after months of coalition infighting. Prime Minister Einars Repse, the pro-business whiz kid who has headed the year-old, center-right administration, said his position was no longer tenable—that "the agony of the state" should end; he announced late Thursday that he was resigning.—that "the agony of the state" should end; he announced late Thursday that he was resigning. 
     Governments in Latvia, as those in Estonia, have been vulnerable to falling apart and Repse hinted he would like to see constitutional changes to prevent so many parties from winning legislative seats. He said the almost permanent instability of his administration was a result of "fundamental and deep problems in Latvia's democratic setup." 
       Talks to form a new coalition from the badly fragmented parliament are likely to be highly complex and arduous. Before the ink on his resignation notice had barely dried, Repse and his center-right New Era party was already courting other like-minded groups in parliament—so his party, at least, could be back in power soon.
       (Also see the report from January 27 for more about long-running tensions in the government.) 

Thursday—February 5, 2004 
RIGA (CITY PAPER) Parliamentarians in Riga were expected to approve new legislation Thursday requiring that all schools teach most of their courses in the sole state language, Latvian—shrugging off a 5,000-strong protest outside the building earlier in the day. —shrugging off a 5,000-strong protest outside the building earlier in the day. Hundreds of Russian school students demonstrated outside parliament starting in the morning, denouncing the new rules as unfair and discriminatory. It was one of the largest demonstrations in the country since the early 1990s. 
       Russians, who make up around 30 percent of the population, have bristled at the proposed changes, which would mean that math, history, social studies and physical education can only be taught in Latvian. The law would allow for courses directly related to Russian culture, like Russian literature and Russian language classes, to be taught in Russian. 
       The government says the reforms are necessary to ensure that hundreds of thousands of Russians learn Latvian and integrate, while Russians say they will undermine their culture and identity. All schools in the country, including those with all-Russian students, will have to conform to the policies beginning in September. 
       The Kremlin has joined in the condemnations of Latvia, while the European Union and other Western bodies have said the Latvian education reforms conform to European standards. 

Wednesday—February 4, 2004
VILNIUS (CITY PAPER) Recent Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus is the early frontrunner to replace embattled current President Rolandas Paksas, who is almost certain to be ousted in an ongoing impeachment process within the next several months. Impeachment proceedings were started against the 47-year-old president at the end of last year after allegations arose he has links to the Russian mob, claims he has adamantly denied. If he is deposed by parliament, a presidential election would have to be held within two months—most probably during this summer. 
       In a poll published in Lithuanian newspapers Wednesday, Adamkus, who spent most of his adult life in the United States, came out on top as the most popular potential presidential candidate, with nearly 25 percent of respondents backing him. Paksas, who could theoretically run again if he is ousted, came in second with 20 percent support; with well below 10 percent backing was Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas and Parliament Speaker Arturas Paulauskas. 
       Neither Adamkus nor any other top Lithuanian leaders have yet announced they'll stand for election, apparently choosing to wait until after the decisive impeachment vote. But Adamkus, who is 77, has not ruled out running. Any new runoff could be a rerun of the election held just one year ago, pitting Paksas against Adamkus. Paksas at the time upset the heavily favored incumbent, who seemed widely liked for his grandfatherly and steady if comparatively dull leadership style. 
       (For more on the Lithuanian presidential crisis see reports from previous weeks below. From the CITY PAPER archives about Adamkus, see Mr. President.) 

Tuesday—February 3, 2004
HELSINKI (CITY PAPER) An unscrupulous few Finnish travel firms are allegedly organizing so called sex tours to neighboring Estonia, tours that include visits to local brothels, Finland's YLE radio reported. Estonia has for years been a sex-tourism destination for some Finnish men, though there have been few reports previously about the direct involvement of agencies. The YLE report said Finnish laws do not prohibit the practice. 
       (On sex tourism to the Baltics, see One Day in the Life of a Finnish Sex Tourist.)

ST. PETERSBURG (CITY PAPER) One of the first post-Soviet ferries to ply the Helsinki-St. Petersburg-Tallinn route will begin services in April, The St. Petersburg Times reported. The Fantasia ferry, which will take 17 hours to sail between the three cities, will be operated by the Tallinn-based Tallink Group. Ticket prices start at about 50 dollars for a round trip and the ship will ply the route every other day. 
       Travel between Estonia and Russia has been limited since the Soviet collapse in part because of the lack of a regular ferry service. But experts have long said that there was enormous potential in the sector, especially in attracting more Russians to Estonia and more Finns to Russia. The St. Petersburg Times said that St. Petersburg expected some 600,000 passengers arriving by sea this year, double the 2003 figure. The number of Russian tourists traveling to Estonia plummeted after the Soviet collapse but has been rising sharply over the last few years. 

Saturday—January 31, 2004
BALTIMORE (CITY PAPER) If you’ve ever left an umbrella in a taxi or an overcoat on a bus, you can partly appreciate Latvian-born Gidon Kremer’s moment of absentmindedness this week. Only what he left behind was almost certainly more valuable than whatever it was you forgot: it was his 3-million-dollar violin. The world renowned violinist had carried the 300-year-old Guarneri del Gesu violin onto an Amtrak train in New York City and placed it in a luggage rack above his seat. But, preoccupied with thinking through the logistics of an upcoming tour, he forgot it when he departed in Baltimore. When it dawned on him some 10 minutes later that he’d left the instrument, the train had already departed for Washington. Fast-acting baggage handlers came across it, secured it, and handed it to waiting Amtrak officials when the train arrived in D.C. The two men who found the violin and ensured it got back to its red-faced owner were Kremer’s special guests at his concert in Baltimore the same night, The Baltimore Sun reported. Kremer dedicated his encore piece "to all those wonderful people who reunited me with my violin." 

Thursday—January 29, 2004
RIGA (CITY PAPER) A teenager who gained notoriety for slapping Britain's Prince Charles in 2002 has now been jailed on suspicion that she set fire to the door of the Ministry of Education earlier this month. She was apparently protesting new laws requiring that all schools, including those with all-Russian student bodies, teach mostly in Latvian. Alina Lebedeva, an 18-year-old ethnic Russian, was arrested this week and appeared in court Thursday for starting the ministry blaze, which resulted in little damage and no injuries. Lebedeva shot to infamy two years ago by walloping the future British king swiftly across the cheek with a red carnation while he was visiting Riga. After the horticultural attack on the startled prince, which Lebedeva said was in protest of the Afghan war, she was initially threatened with 15 years in jail. But a judge later simply ruled that she go home with her parents, and he warned her to stay out of trouble. 
       (For complete details on Lebedeva’s attack on Prince Charles in 2002, see Flower Power.)

Wednesday—January 28, 2004
VILNIUS (CITY PAPER) Lithuania's government followed Latvia and Estonia Wednesday by naming its choice to fill the nation's top job on the EU's powerful executive body, the European Commission. Its selection, 47-year-old Finance Minister Dalia Grybauskaite, is regarded as a fiscal conservative, and is seen as highly intelligent and a fiercely independent thinker; the blond, blue-eyed Grybauskaite has often opposed spending proposals from her own political allies on the grounds they would bust the budget. Her black belt in karate has helped confirm her tough, no-nonsense image. As a youthful, rising star in European politics, she has also invited comparisons to the widely celebrated Anna Lindh, who was murdered late last year while shopping in Stockholm.
       Grybauskaite, one of just a few ministers in the center-left Social Democratic government with no party affiliation, was the second ranking diplomat in Lithuania's embassy in Washington in the late '90s; she later helped negotiate Lithuanian membership terms with the EU. In addition to her native Lithuanian, she speaks English, Russian, Polish and French.
       The other Baltic states named their EU Commissioners earlier this month. Estonia picked former Prime Minister Siim Kallas, a staunch free-market advocate; Latvia chose current Foreign Minister Sandra Kalniete, known as one of th