He said so in a report to a Riga conference on, "The Baltics and Russia in the 21st Century's Greater Europe". The Russian Embassy to Latvia circulated his communication in print among the conferees.
"Things may take a bad turn if the post-Soviet Baltic countries harp on their claims, and harass Russia and the European Union as they seek to meet each other halfway for an accord; if the Baltics attempt to block CIS integration, and carry on discrimination against ethnic minorities," said the diplomat.
"Proponents of such policies will not comply with orientation on strategic partnership with Russia, which the EU top has announced. Legal, humanitarian and other bilateral disputes will certainly not leave the agenda in that instance.
"As Latvia's and Estonia's initial steps as EU and NATO members show, a part of their political activists regrettably cling to such policies, which are inefficient and have no prospects, as will be clear quite soon." As for Lithuania, "dominating its contacts with Russia as before will be team efforts to settle transit and supply problems of the Kaliningrad Region, Russian Baltic exclave. This teamwork is making progress, as is the entire all-round bilateral partnership." The diplomat, in charge of Russo-Latvian relations, could not appear at the conference to make his communication. Latvian authorities refused him an entry visa, May 19. Latvia's NGO Baltic Forum had invited Mr. Demurin to attend the conference, which concerns Russia's and Latvia's place in 21st century Europe.
