Westward Ho!
The leaders of the Baltic states talk about their countries' pasts, presents and what they hope will be a collectively bright future
BY JEFF CHU Davos
| JANUARY 26 |
|
|
A decade ago, Latvia was trying to get out of a club where membership
wasn't an option. The Soviets took over the country just before World War
II, and after 50 years, hundreds of thousands of Latvians gathered in
Riga--"bareheaded and unarmed," recalled President Vaira Vike-Freiberga--
to say, "That's enough."
At a panel discussion in Davos on Friday, Vike-Freiberga and her fellow
Baltic leaders--Valdas Adamkus from Lithuania and Lennart Meri of
Estonia--took time to reflect. They talked about the progress they have
made since regaining independence and staked out the direction--common,
democratic, European--in which they'd like to go. The shared desire, said
Vike-Freiberga, is "to catch up to lost time, to get with it, both in
Europe and the world."
One of the concrete signs of getting with it would be E.U. membership.
According to the three leaders, E.U. membership isn't just--or even
primarily--about getting aid from richer European cousins. "Are we
looking for material benefits?" Adamkus said. "No, I can assure you we
are not coming in with an extended hand, begging `Give it to us!'" It's
more about shared values and a commitment to preserving the rights that,
during the Soviet era, the people of the Baltics didn't have.
President Meri said that all three countries "are in a hurry" to leapfrog
into the European elite. But he pointed out that the all three countries
are no strangers to democracy. "We have an old generation who still
remembers the pre-war days," he said, citing that history and collective
memory as clear advantages today.
There were good vibes all around until NATO came up. Adamkus emphasized
the importance of joint European security and voiced admiration for a
set-up where "everyone is looking after each other." But the three
leaders' push for NATO membership drew sharp criticism from the Russian
representative on the panel, Sergei Karaganov, chairman of the Russian
Institute of Europe's Council on Foreign and Defense Policy. "NATO is not
an alliance Russia likes," he said. "That would mean that Russia would
cease to see them as potential partners."
Ten years ago, such a threat might have mattered. But it was clear from
the presidents' faces that Moscow matters much less to their countries
today. The era of eastern dominance is over. The Baltic states are
looking west.
|
|
The Beginning of the End
The WEF Annual Meeting is drawing to a close, so where do we go from here?
A Short, Strange Trip
TIME's Geneva correspondent has a brush with the law
Soaking in 'The Spirit of Davos'
TIME's Pat Regnier hangs with the anti-globalization activists at the WEF
D-Day
Will the anti-globalization demonstrations in Davos live up to the hype?
Do Something
The Gates Foundation sets the bar high with a $100 million AIDS research grant
How Much for this Gene?
Scientists and academics at Davos debate the price and patentability of genetic material
Orange with Envy
To have the wrong color of badge can be an albatross around a Davos attender's neck
Westward Ho!
The leaders of the Baltic states talk about their countries' pasts, presents and what they hope will be a collectively bright future
Look Out for the Long Knives
The debate at Davos: will the U.S. economy take the rest of the world down with it?
Rich Man's Burden
The hypothetical bridge over the digital divide may be well-intended, but Davos may not be the best place to start construction
The Branding of Davos
The World Economic Forum induces a binge of generous corporate giving
Hello Mother, Hello Father
TIME's Jeff Chu sends his first postcard from Camp Davos
Perfect TEN
A group of technology pioneers are trying to bridge the digital divide
|
