Decision must be made not whether we will dismantle Soviet-era monument at Victory Park, but how - Riga mayor

RIGA - A decision must be made not whether we will dismantle the Soviet-era monument at Victory Park, but how we will do this, Riga Mayor Martins Stakis told Latvian Television today.

Stakis proposes to form an inter-institutional working group, which would include representatives of four Saeima committees, the government, ministries and the Riga City Council, who would decide "not whether to dismantle the monument, but how we will do so".

According to the mayor, such a working group is needed to start real progress on the monument matter. Even if it were concluded that the removal of the monument was possible only when "bloody regime of Putin" falls in Russia, the Latvian side could make preparations to be ready to remove the monument at that moment, the politician said.

Speaking about the upcoming May 9, when events at the monument will be banned, Stakis admitted that there will be no provocations, although a more accurate assessment could be provided by the state security services, which together with the State Police are also working on a security plan for May 9.