disappeared from the world back the former soviet republic. became a member of the deep but is being sixteen years since the head of state of the last public was on an official visit here in the last one to bring. politicians and businessmen that he brought along. and just take from the. top russian businessmen are forecasting a significant improvement of relations between russia and let's hear they say the new generation of politicians on both sides is ready to leave behind old preconceptions and prejudices and it can already be seen in some important deals gazprom has agreed to. brega is ready to support moscow's bid to leave the visa regime between russia and.

to take a listen welcome to the show thank you very much for being with us. first of all this was the the first. president since nineteen ninety four right. and the the the letter inside already called it the beginning of normal bilateral relations normal dialogue this is a quote so what the two countries to review their relations which is well i think it's a question of time period. took place very very poor when our president. with their main. cream and. throw off russian military forces. this is a research looking into the future. we have heard quite

a difficult time behind us. and we seize. and it is to say you. level of relations i think we have we have managed to do it the two presidents as far as i heard they spoke russian this was the working language of the visit does it mean that the lights be an allergy to all that's russian is over. well i think the president is a very. pragmatic man though when when he's he's going to proselyte he's speaking english when he's going to moscow he's speaking russian or he's speaking language we can communicate and understand he chose her as quickly as possible service or choice so so and. this is not only the choice of the

president the government but also the choice of the people you represent can you say that the latins today the attitude to with the russians is better than it was like fifteen years ago i wouldn't turn it fifteen years ago left me and had. a different attitude towards russians let's answer russians living to go living in riga in other cities of latvia and there are no quarrels on an ethnic base no not at all but i think the task of the visit is was not to settle their relations between russians and left me and but to answer let's hear but to say thaw new level of relationship between our two states well let's just speak about theories fears. are always something that that makes may make it

difficult to establishing good work in relations recently wiki leaks has disclosed the existence of a nato contingency plan for a possible. russian aggression against the baltic states well do you think that latvians really fear still fear a possible russian invasion is it a fact of life in your country or not oh i think the question has been answered by the latest nato summit. nato summit adopted a new nato security strategy. it confirmed. politico is a military is a defense alliance and all the states have obligations to defend it chose article five is still valid. and nato at the same time stated in the city of cooperation of closer cooperation with russia. that's announcer i think since latvia is

a member of nato since life is a member of european union i would say we haven't any fear from nobody well of course we have to. have fears from economic challenges from new international threats like international terrorism but well that's a challenge. facing any any country including like you you're mentioning the economic challenges was well as a member of nato ally that is for as i understand spence spent quite a considerable sum on defense well this reset let's call it in russia latin relations that we are seeing today do you think it may convince the let me leadership to scrap some costly defense programs i wouldn't link link

reset policy and our defense spending have been cut quite substantially in the last two years. due to economic constraints. but we are still. lacking to have two percent military or defense expenditures of g.d.p. so we are spending less and that's a commitment of nato states so i think this is not claimed to. have a reset is not linked to the level of military expenditures in latvia and we have to holler our. commitments as nato member states well as you mentioned the relations between the russians and the lat let me end but still according to the kremlin the main problem in bilateral relations is the status of

russian speaking people in latvia the so-called non citizens the rian augustine agency recently published published the figures there are seventy nine differences i'm quoting reality and the rights of citizens and non-citizens and forty seven professions offer then for the so-called non citizens is it true is it a good game to change actually no. i will i will say very simple. when people respectively be latvian so russians are going to. go to the shop to. delhi charged to the medical care. to social. agency they have no difference in treatment well sos persons respectively who they are but they are ethnic lucky and sort of

russians if the person hasn't. or hasn't get a citizenship. this person concept ploy to be civil servant let's apply for the policeman. or to be elected to their party that's a major difference and the rest well you kind of course the professions of of civil service you can name in fifty vary and variations but at the very end it remains only civil service and that's a difference. you mentioned the equal treatment but there was this this news story in the news recently about the doctors that the. that they were members of the ruling party and they declared there and the willingness to to give medical systems to the russian speakers because they called the occupiers tell us more about the story and what was their reaction to that comment

pleat mistreatment and cunt com please misinterpretations over the use of this yeah i know you are a tremendous lot of such and such facts but the fact was was. mistreated by one journalists and then published by by many others well if one dr somewhere in america consider he's not a member of the party he's not a member he's not a deputy he's not a minister if you consider that he may have some difficulties in treatment that's his own problem. well as a party supporter of one of the ruling party here he was thrown out of his party was. money he donated for the party was a return back to him really well this doctor this american doctor that we related to he called the russians he called them occupiers while this problem this question

of occupation it seems to be close to being so today when the when the two president decided to to. need commission office tories to tackle these difficult difficult questions and this is one of the main results of this visit the latter in a visit to moscow well. do you agree that the question of soviet occupation of latvia is still divided the two countries and how soon do you think this commission may do something to start solving the this problem well. i wouldn't say that this is a mean main result of the visit well we have quite a number of results. but certainly it is and it was acknowledged by both presidents that it is a question not not an easy question should be somehow discussed.

and positions are opinion should be exchanged and so it was has happened already today between two presidents i think that starts off of this political dialogue even. concern me these difficult issues but it is essential to start a dialogue about this issue i think this first step. most presidents endorsed the creation of a historian commission i think that's a good step ahead and even. if you are on a on a difficult task you have to make a first step is first step was done today and i hope we will move ahead and settle the issues of the history of interpretation of history we are not trying to rewrite history but but we are trying to come closer by interpretation of

historical events and interpretations. some time not only interpreted by academicians but also by politicians but certainly conditions can be very helpful in interpretation. i should stress that if we want to suck salts issue. the question about all carbs and openness of squids essential part of says tyler and i hope very much we will have also progress regarding accessibility it says it is statement is the state secretary of the last part of ministry will be back shortly after the break we'll continue this interview in less than a minute so stay where you are going. for

the full story we've got. the biggest issues get a human voice face to face with the news makers. the official anti application. i pod touch from the. life on the good. video. broadcasts and. now in the palm of your. question on the dot com.

welcome back to spotlight i'm going to have in just a reminder that my guest on the show. so today is andreas take when he says the state secretary of the lightly and foreign ministry you mention just mention politicians having a chance to interpret historical events do you think it's right well you're a politician today of course but you're also a human being and you have your children your grandchildren studying history would you like them studying history interpreted by politicians. well i think. if. well if you are not thinking about your history probably it will be a very difficult to sink about your future so we can't separate from our history

whether we like it or not but we have to be clear on that. and therefore both academicians and his politicians should have some more clarity about it i wouldn't say that all the politicians in latvia and the russia even of a successful work of turin commission will have totally the same opinion or totally the same interpretation of historical events well but i think it would be essential if we would come closer in. explaining historical events evaluating historical events. coming closer of their opinions of the politicians of both states and certainly if academicians would agree on on these events that would definitely be very helpful there was a lot written about the relations on the eve of his visit to moscow and many

journalists expressed an opinion fear that if russia is recognized as a country occupied that we have it means that they have that latvia. could seek compensation do you do you agree do you confer one can you deny this point if you're well i would say the. i would say that. toric issue should be regarded like the roads are and this is not only the issue between. latvia and russia this is an issue between left and poland this is an issue of russia's own history and i think that is essential to bringing all knowledge about. tragic complex difficult issues of twentieth century

and we have to start. i think a good start is a half of the victory we shouldn't try to reach immediately some finish but we have to start and what's essential we have to start both and we have to start to cover this first step was done today i hope very much it will be successful you're absolutely both moscow and riga have already labeled this visit as successful well as far as i know you are yuruk company business to latin economies through a he was coming to moscow in order to try to convince gazprom to cut the gas prices for latvia was this attempt successful. well. i should say that was no not the only issue of. minister of economy and number of ministers who. came with the president to moscow

we have signed a number of four agreements but in a bilateral agreements. i should mention first and foremost the agreement in some double taxation agreement on our cooperation in combating or organized crime cooperation in mental math has. facilitated travel in the border regions cooperation in matters of tourism and so on and so forth. and we discussed quite a number of various issues with president prime minister putin. and we we discussed issues. transit and transportation of investments of gas supply also so i hope i hope very much sir. due to this visit and then not only due to this wizard but. we will have also

in the near future and adequate. understandable price of and that your resources says so so you think this may happen yes that the prices may be cut i hope short of to mystic i am and this is the result of the visit. i should stress that we have quite a number of results successful ok and now how much will bilateral trade increase next i know you talked about it and in which areas. well there is a very positive dynamic owes us still we have quite a different different you know about let's trade. and well that's mostly due to the fact that russian statistics is counting the transit through latvia we are now. but but nevertheless we see the very positive dynamic

this year. in gross of our mutual trade. gross of the trade total trade volume has grown by twenty seven or twenty eight percent that's because we can expect. also in the next year we may expect the growth of the trade in. traditional. branches traditional goods like it is food. like sprouts other fish products meat products diary products various. goods. chemistry pharmaceuticals so we can mean can expect increase in bilateral trade in practically all the branches and we hope very much that. the

signing of double taxation is a matter that really will stimulate. the business community in both countries and it will increase activity of business community it will increase investments while we still only go shooting. the agreement on protection on. months so we haven't landed diest yet to a common position but i hope very much we will do it in the nearest future speaking of investments your excellency i'm sorry for interrupting but i know that two thousand and nine there was a significant cut a significant decrease in investments russians to latin letters to russia what was the main reason are our russian investments safe enough in that area there. safe

and so was the reason that they are safe enough and actually the well cumulated investments didn't didn't decrease and the biggest investment so it has been done they are still there. there are quite to many smaller investors probably have been hit in both countries by economic constraints and they were not maybe able to carry out all the plants they have envisaged before but i think this is physical so encouraged quite a many. business people and we saw today in the morning when we had a business forum. about well. two hundred fifty business men participated in this business for own both from left and from from russia and i think definitely i'm very confident that they will find a common business you mentioned this agreement that you signed with the russians

about facilitating the the cross border trips for people living along the russian latvia border well russia has been working on these abolishing the abolishment of the visa regime between russia and the shotgun countries do you think that latvia is is ready to become an advocate of the abolishment of these as with russia well actually we support this and the support has been a non-small really today by our president. we are supportive to to this. these are free for perspective for e.u. and russia. and then we have to carry out our homework. quite a number of homework should be done in the e.u. countries in russia in order to achieve a real result freedom while it is reason for it doesn't mean only

a possibility of well it's a must commits to go to you and i'm allowed to spread to nice week or month in the summer time or in the new year see you or to go to four four four lets me instead to go to moscow or petersburg no well it means that business community should be safe in both countries by conducting their business activities they shouldn't be bothered by overwhelming ridge. procedures and well documents say fifty. readmission issues all these issues should be told then we will have a real reason freedom thank you thank you very much you know slim c. for the centurion just a reminder that my guest on the show today was. the state secretary of the

last three and four and then the street and the third from the local news talk like we'll be back with more for a time comment on what's going on in and outside of the ship stay on. and take care thank you very much.

india is available in the grand central shirts and the. polish president bloomberg. which results beatriz will. go to go on hold her toe ridges cement her toe to toe toe. in the radio to leave the. church in new delhi who took. a be her serene collection remote to close a. maiden's hotel's. close a movie don't shift it was promise but a precocious promise.

we'll. bring you the latest in science and technology from around the world. we've gone to the future coverage. of the so-called bric nations so many trade ties russia and india secure multi-billion dollar deals on a trip by president. of the e.u. we've been signed to do join me in seeing from you in a few moments from. also e.u. fury as hundreds of people remain in costs to be invalid probably violent protests against alexander lukashenko election victory. conspiracy theories running wild in poland. plane crash that killed the

post president and ninety five others aviation experts say the centro port au prince and sorrow meanwhile relate brother who's the former prime minister of a country claims the wrong body was buried moscow is baffled by the plague. from our headquarters in central moscow you're watching r t with me nice and now way it's six pm here in the russian capital eight thirty pm in new delhi where billion dollar deals military agreements and high tech link ups are the result of dimitri medvedev high profile visit to india the russian president also sealed a number of agreements on nuclear power to satisfy growing energy demands in the world's second most populous nation live now to our current thing joins us from the indian capital guardian multibillion.