Response to the OSCE Representative to the Latvian-Russian Joint Commission on Military Pensioners

As delivered by Ambassador Daniel B. Baer to the Permanent Council, Vienna | November 6, 2014

We welcome the return of Lieutenant Colonel Napiontek to the Permanent Council and thank him for his report.

Lieutenant Colonel Napiontek, we commend the Latvian institutions that have, for many years, successfully resolved all issues of concern related to Russian military pensioners. As your report notes, since 2008 there has not been a single request or appeal from a military pensioner.

We welcome your message that addressing the issue of military pensioners should not require the involvement of the OSCE, and that most problems could be solved on a bilateral basis between Latvia and the Russian Federation. We appreciate your frank assessment that a large portion of the OSCE Representative’s work on this issue is done, and that 2015 may be the time to review the current setup of this OSCE operation. We support your call for that review.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

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