As delivered by Ambassador Daniel B. Baer
to the Permanent Council, Vienna
October 10, 2013
We welcome the return of Lieutenant Colonel Napiontek to the Permanent Council and thank him for his report.
The United States considers good relations between neighbors a vital indication that our shared objective of cooperative and indivisible security is being realized. Although Lieutenant Colonel Napiontek’s report shows that Latvia and the Russian Federation are continuing their cooperation, certain obstacles still remain.
We urge both parties to continue their productive collaboration on the issue of military pensioners, to enhance efforts to resolve their disagreements pertaining to the 1994 agreement, and to update the agreement on medical care expenses so that actual costs are reflected.
While the OSCE will remain supportive of the Joint Commission’s onward efforts, we would like the two parties to eventually reach a point where active OSCE engagement is no longer required.
Thank you, Madam Chairperson.
