The car of the Latvian embassy in front of the building of the Russian Foreign Ministry. Archive photoMOSCOW, May 19.The Russian side sees grounds for raising the issue of material compensation from Latvia for damage to Soviet monuments, says the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova. diplomat in her comment posted on the official website of the ministry. According to her, the Latvian ambassador was “handed a corresponding note in connection with the provocative decision of the Latvian Seimas of May 12 this year on the suspension of Article 13 of the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Latvia on issues of protection of military pensioners of the Russian Federation and members of their families living in the territory of the Republic of Latvia, dated April 30, 1994 (Agreement), giving the green light to the demolition of memorials of the Soviet period, including the Monument to the soldiers of the Soviet Army — liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German -fascist invaders.» Diplo mat also added that Russia reserves the right to retaliate.The head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Latvia resignedA document posted on the website in connection with the meeting of the Latvian ambassador at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that the ambassador «was told that the Russian side considers the unilateral termination of Article 13 of the Agreement as a violation of Latvia's obligations, contrary to the generally recognized norms of the law of international treaties.» «This violation gives Russia grounds to raise the issue of Latvia's international legal responsibility, which is expressed, in particular, in the obligation of the latter to fully compensate for the damage, including in the form of compensation for damage caused by the said violation,» the Russian Foreign Ministry said. «In accordance with international law, the Russian side reserves the right to take countermeasures in response to this illegal act of Latvia,» the department concluded. The Latvian Parliament had previously suspended the clause of the intergovernmental agreement with Russia on the protection of monuments to Soviet soldiers, which allows dismantling the monument to the Liberators of Riga. The police closed access to the monument, the municipal services removed the flowers laid by May 9 with a tractor, and later the residents of the city began to bring them again. Last week, the Latvian Parliament allowed the demolition of the monument. The Riga City Council voted for the demolition, instructing the specialized agency to ensure the dismantling of the monument. Against the backdrop of Latvia's decision, Andrey Klimov, head of the Federation Council commission for the protection of state sovereignty, told RIA Novosti that Latvia needs to be «reasoned» by taking extremely tough measures, including economic ones. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called what is happening «an international outrage».
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