Baltic states gain recognition (09/01/91)

Baltic states gain recognition

JERSEY CITY, N.J. - Germany has joined the growing number of Western countries to formally recognize the Baltic states' declaration of independence by reinstating diplomatic relations. German Chancellor Helmut Kohl signed documents with Estonian Foreign Minister Lennart Meri, Latvian Foreign Minister Janis Jurkans and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Algirdas Saudargas, establishing diplomatic ties between Germany and the three independent republics on August 28, 52 years after Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop non-aggression pact.

The Scandinavian countries and Iceland were the first Western countries to formally restore diplomatic relations with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on August 25. Danish Foreign Minister Uffe Ellemann-Jensen and the foreign minister of Norway, Torvald Stolberg, announced that they recognize the independence of the three republics and would reinstate diplomatic relations as of that day. Their announcement came as the foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania traveled to Iceland to sign a treaty reinstating relations with Iceland's Foreign Minister Jon Baldvin Hannibalsson.

On August 27, the European Community unanimously recognized the independence of the three Baltic states, while asserting that formal diplomatic ties would be established independently between each member state and the Baltic republics.

In their statement issued in Brussels, the foreign ministers of the 12 countries welcomed the restoration of independence to the Baltic states, "while calling for open and constructive negotiations between the Baltic states and the Soviet Union to settle outstanding issues between them." The 12 EC foreign ministers also issued an invitation to the foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to attend their next meeting in September.

Foreign Minister Hans van den Brock of the Netherlands, who holds the EC's six-month rotating presidency, said the individual declarations of independence of other Soviet republics "would be treated on their own merit... taking into account the principles of international law that apply to self-determination."

Numerous countries have recognized Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania's declaration of independence in the past week: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Finland, Hungary, Malta, New Zealand, Panama, Poland, Romania, San Marino, Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa, Uruguay and the Vatican. Austria, Czecho-Slovakia, Ecuador, India, Japan and South Korea have declared their intent to do so.

On August 24 President Boris N. Yeltsin of the Russian federated republic had formally recognized Estonia and Latvia's outright declarations of independence of August 20 and 21, respectively, presumably reciprocating Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania's declarations of support for Mr. Yeltsin on the day of the coup. Lithuania, which had declared its independence in March of 1990, had already been recognized as a sovereign state by Russia. The three Baltic states were the only Soviet republics to issue formal statements of support for the Russian president on August 19.

The Presidium of Ukraine's Supreme Soviet recognized the independence of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on August 26, instructing the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prepare the necessary documents and sign treaties with the three states regarding the establishment of diplomatic relations. In turn, Ukraine has asked the Baltic states to recognize Ukraine's declaration of independence, reported The Weekly Associate Editor Chrystyna Lapychak, who is now based in Kiev.

President George Bush has yet to formally recognize the Baltic states' declaration of independence, citing the United States' "special responsibilities not to make hasty decisions that could contribute to instability in the Soviet Union."

U.S. officials said that once the Soviet Union recognized the independence of the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian republics, the United States would immediately do the same.