News Baltic states set to seek reparation for Soviet occupation

Russia must pay for the damage it inflicted on Estonia the Soviet era, the country’s Justice Ministry said in recent statement.

“The ministers stressed the importance of preserving the memory of people who lost lives due to the Soviet occupation, as well as exploring opportunities to put forward a claim for damages to the Russian Federation, the legal successor of the Soviet Union,” the statement reads

In 2016, a special commission assessed the damage caused to the Latvian economy during the Soviet occupation in 1940-1991 at €185 bn (economic loss). During the same year, Estonia established a committee that has to estimate the loss of the country during their stay in the USSR. As for Lithuania, it may claim $30 bn compensation.

In 2015, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia signed a declaration on joint efforts in the submission of claims for damages for being a part of the USSR.

The Russian Foreign Ministry calls the Baltic countries’ claims ‘unfounded’ and ‘politically engaged’. They also criticise the trio for using the wording ‘occupation’.

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia declared independence after the collapse of the Russian Empire. As a result of the signing of the Soviet-German non-aggression agreement and a number of secret protocols, the countries became part of the Soviet Union.

belsat.eu