Latvia–Russia relations

From 1920 to 1940, relations between the countries had existed. On August 11, 1920, the Republic of Latvia and the Russian Soviet Federal Socialist Republic signed a peace treaty. Article 14 of the Treaty provided for the establishment of diplomatic and consular contacts between the parties upon ratification of the peace treaty.[4] In 1922 USSR had been founded, which took over the foreign affairs of its member states (including Russia).

The Latvian Embassy was located in Moscow from 1920 to 1940. Latvia's first diplomatic representative in Soviet Russia was Ambassador Jānis Vesmanis, accredited on 2 November 1920. Latvian consular representations were established during the Civil War period (1919-1920) in Blagoveshchensk and Murmansk. Consular functions were also performed by representatives of the Latvian Interim Government: in Northern Russia by Alfreds Ikners (Archangelsk), in Southern Russia by Kristaps Bahmanis (Kiev) and Rūdolfs Liepiņš (Don and Kuban). From June 1919 to October 1920, Latvia was also represented in Siberia and the Urals by Jānis Mazpolis (Vladivostok).[4]

Latvian SSR-RSFSR relations

Latvian SSR	Russian SFSR

The Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940, which included deportations to Siberian Gulags (June deportation), created a large degradation of Latvian-Russian relations. Nazi Germany then occupied Latvia in 1941 German occupation of Latvia during World War II, until the USSR returned in 1944 to resume occupation, resulting in further deportations. During this period many Latvians fled with the retreating Germans or to Sweden.

The Soviet occupation dramatically increased the number of Russians living in Latvia in a short space of time, often replacing those who were deported, executed or had fled. The high influx of Russians and the removal of Latvian as the official language caused further deterioration in the Latvia-Russian relations between citizens.

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  Flag of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (1954–1991)
• 
  Flag of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (1953–1990)

A meeting between the prime ministers of both countries Valdis Dombrovskis and Dmitry Medvedev during the 2013 Baltic Sea Forum

Latvian President Valdis Zatlers with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in a signing ceremony during Zatlers' 2010 official visit in Russia.

In 1991, Latvia regained independence from the USSR through the Latvian independence and democracy poll, 1991. In 2007, the border treaty between the two states was ratified after Latvia dropped a claim for a small pre-World War II territory that's currently part of modern Russia.[5] While speaking at the Latvia-Russia Business Forum in St. Petersburg, President Valdis Zatlers spoke in favor of a visa free regime between the EU and Russia. In an interview with Latvian newspaper Segodnya, President Andris Berzins stated that the "reality is that Russia is our neighbor, and we need to look for ways to develop good neighborly relations between our two countries no matter what".[6] On December 13, 2018 Latvian parliament adopted a declaration condemning the aggressive actions of Russia in the Kerch Strait incident.[7]

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Russian Federation maintained its military presence in Latvia. It had troops stationed there and it continued to run the Skrunda-1 radar station. As early as 1992[8] Russia agreed to start withdrawing its troops from Latvia. Following a 30 April 1994 agreement, Latvia allowed Russia to run the Skrunda-1 radar station for four more years in exchange for the full withdrawal of the Russian troops.[9] Russia adhered to this agreement and withdrew its remaining troops from Latvia in August 1994 (except for the troops stationed around Skrunda, who received permission to stay longer). One of the towers of the Skrunda-1 base was demolished with the help of the United States in May 1995.[10] In August 1998, Skrunda-1 suspended operations. Russia eventually dismantled the equipment and withdrew its remaining military personnel the following year.[11] These steps marked a symbolic end to the Russian military presence and World War II on the territory of Latvia.[12]

Zatlers meeting with Medvedev in the Moscow Kremlin.

President Valdis Zatlers attended the Moscow Victory Day Parade on Red Square on 9 May 2010, attending the 65th VE Day celebrations.[13] President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga previously had attended the 60th anniversary event in 2005.[14] In December 2010, Zatlers made his first state visit to Moscow, with the four-day visit including talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, as well as Prime Minister Vladimir Putin,[15] Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow.[16][17] The following year, Kremlin Chief of Staff Sergei Naryshkin made a working visit to Latvia.[18]

In early 2014, Latvian President Andris Berzins visited Sochi to attend the 2014 Winter Olympics opening ceremony, where he had a five-minute conversation with Putin.[19][20][21]

Russia often criticizes Latvia for alleged discrimination against the Russian-speaking population[22][23][24][25][26] and has also participated in a number of cases of complaints against Latvia in the European Court of Human Rights as a third party. These cases also dealt with the violation of the rights of the Russian minority in Latvia. Such cases included Slivenko v. Latvia, Kononov v. Latvia, Vikulov and others v. Latvia,[27] Sisojeva And Others v Latvia, and Vasilevskiy v. Latvia.

In April 2004 Latvia expelled Second Secretary of the Russian Embassy in Rīga Pyotr Uzhumov, who had allegedly been trying to gather information on Latvia's defence forces, for activities "incompatible with his diplomatic status" to which Russia responded by expelling first secretary of the Latvian Embassy in Moscow.[28]

In March 2018 for activities not consistent with their duties and in solidarity with the United Kingdom's response to the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal Latvia expelled a second secretary rank Russian diplomat within the Russian embassy in Rīga.[29] Russia responded by expelling a Latvian diplomat from Russia.[30]

In late May 2018 a former employee of Latvian Railways was sentenced to 18 months in prison and 60 hours of community service for espionage. The man had filmed trains carrying NATO equipment and sent the videos to a contact in Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast.[31] In August 2018 a farmer in Alūksne Municipality was given a three-year suspended sentence for collecting open-source information near the Latvian-Russian border at an alleged request of Russian authorities that was classified as espionage.[32]

Embassy of Latvia in 3 Chaplygin Street, Moscow

On the night to May 30, 2014 petards and smoke grenades were thrown at the Latvian general consulate in St. Petersburg by members of the far-left The Other Russia party, who set up a USSR flag on the façade of the building, distributed pamphlets and demanded release of their party member Beness Aijo that was detained for incitement to violently overthrow the government of Latvia and change the political system, as well as to liquidate Latvia's national independence.[33][34] On July 13, 2015 The Latvian consulate in St. Petersburg was once again attacked by members of The Other Russia who threw smoke bombs and eggs at the consulate and distributed flyers, with one activist detained and charged for 'petty hooliganism'.[30]

On the evening of Victory Day on May 9, 2018 smoke grenades and flares were thrown at the Embassy of Latvia in Moscow and two people were detained.[35] The next day the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia presented a diplomatic note to the Russian authorities, demanded it "to take all precautionary measures to prevent such attacks and to punish the perpetrators" and "ensure repair of the damage", emphasizing that "this is not the first case when the security of the Latvian diplomatic mission in Russia has been exposed to risks".[36]

• Jānis Vesmanis (1920–1921; with Soviet Russia)
• Jānis Peters (1991–1997)
• Imants Daudišs (1997–2001)
• Normans Penke (2001–2004)
• Andris Teikmanis (2005–2008)
• Edgars Skuja (2009–2017)
• Māris Riekstiņš (since 2017)