Latvija in brief - 2007-09-26

  • 2007-09-26
Vilnis Gavars, one of the most wanted criminals in Latvia, was finally delivered to Latvia from Russia on Sept. 24 after a half year of negotiations. Gavars was the leader of a bikers' union, Brivie Vanagi (Free Hawks), and stands accused of storing narcotic substances in large amounts with the intention to sell them. The Prosecutor General's office put out an international search warrant for Gavars in August 2001 after police confiscated more than 100,000 lats (142,287 euros) worth of cocaine, amphetamines and marijuana from properties registered to the suspect.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Daniel Fried expressed support for the ratification of the Latvian-Russian border treaty to Foreign Minister Artis Pabriks during the latter's recent visit to the U.S. Fried said that the treaty is "good for the security of the EU as a whole and also for NATO." The American official also pointed to the progress Latvia is making toward establishing a visa-free program with the United States, and praised Latvia's plan to implement new passports that include biometric data.

The national armed forces are planning a major purchase of equipment for protection against weapons of mass destruction sometime before 2009. The equipment would consist of 1,950 sets of clothes and six large tents that provide protection against chemical, radioactive and biological weapons, as well as four multi-functional cleaning devices. The equipment will be used by ground forces and specialized battalions while on missions. The army is not yet sure how much the purchase could cost.