The enemy search is usual work for the Baltic States

The director of the Baltic Bureau of political consultation Grupa ZET Grigory Zubarev has visited recently Russia where has addressed to the fifth international conference "JOURNALISM is the MORAL CATEGORY". The Baltic Bureau of political consultation Grupa ZET is engaged basically in political consultation, works not only in Latvia but also abroad, conducts analytical work and practical on elections.

Grigory Zubarev has told to our correspondent about how there are the relations of Russia and the Baltic States.

- What today occurs in relations of Russia and the Baltic states?

- Each of the Baltic republics has different relations with Russia. It seems to me that from the point of view of official relations, Russia has the best contacts with Latvia.

- Recently Vladimir Pozner has shown the president Zalters …

- In my opinion, it is far not Pozner's good luck and Zalters will precisely go to harm because he wants to be reelected. The president is elected not by the population. He is chosen by parliament. But, coming back to a question on relations between Russia and the Baltic States, I will tell that Russia has the best economic relations with Estonia, rather than with its neighbors.

- Is Russia traditionally perceived as the enemy in local political tradition?

- No, it is not so. Any society has 5-7 % of radicals who always search and find enemies. There is nothing you can do…In Latvia until recently actively played a Nazi anti-Russian political card and now it is somehow shaded. But this circumstance is not connected with elections as can be seemed but with crisis. It has rendered a great influence. As it is known, the life defines consciousness …

And if to look on chronology, so firstly Latvia had the worst relations with Russia, then Estonia and now Lithuania.

- But what is necessary to do to make the relations normal?!

- Firstly for this purpose it is necessary to wish to make them normal and good neighbourly. As it is known, the political declarations and reality are different things. Formally everything is all right: there are the diplomatic relations, members of parliament regularly meet, the trade barter is at least some sort of …

But on the other hand – what for to be the relations normal?! I mean just a political component. After all when in relations with neighbors all is good, then people pay the attention inside the country, reflect more that occurs at home. Here therefore there are political forces for which it is profitable that people argued on other problems more and they direct attention to such things.

- For example, they talked a lot round the building of the atomic power station in the Baltic states …

- Latvia will not participate in this project precisely. And as they say, it is none so sure in general. After all Belarus will build the nuclear station too and we don’t forget about the atomic power station in Kaliningrad. It turns out already too – therefore the Lithuanians fight with Byelorussians now. In general it also will end with nothing – everyone will make that he wants.

And the intensity with neighbors is just necessary to make people to pay less attention to problems inside the country. It is abundantly.

- Whether the Baltic mass-media give a full picture of what occurs in the region?

- I will tell so that Latvia, for example, has two information fields: one – for the Letts, another – for the Russians. Frequently the approaches are opposite. However, proceeding from the information received from mass-media, it is possible to make an overall picture of that occurs.

There are Russian-speaking newspapers, sites and the television too. But mass-media are focused not by a national principle. More likely the division occurs on political sympathies. The Russian-speaking mass-media are guided basically by left-of -centre and left forces and the Latvian mass-media supports right-of-centre politicians and right.

State mass-media? There are only one state newspaper in Latvia – exclusively the official organ is published there, two state TV channels and one radio station. Certainly, language in all cases the Latvian.

- Whether the petition for granting the state status to the Russian language will lead to any decisions?

- No, it will bring to nothing. It won't be possible to realize such idea - it is absolutely clear. And those radicals about whom we spoke, have added the new idea to armoury now: let at schools teach only on Latvian … Situation thus again is warmed up.

- Whether it is possible to give the forecast: how the relations of Russia and the Baltic States will develop in the near future?

- All solves the politics! The new themes will necessarily appear, they will excite the public opinion, to excite people. And the essence of processes won't change. All remains as it was – I am assured of it.