Russian President Vladimir Putin seen during his annual televised New Year's message at the huge TV screen during New Year celebrating in downtown St.Petersburg, Russia, Friday, Dec. 31, 2004.
Photo: AP
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Riga Broke TV Bridge with Vladimir Putin
// Scandal
Riga’s City Duma refused Baltic bureau of First Channel of Russian TV to broadcast TV Bridge with Vladimir Putin on Liva Square in Old Riga. The city authorities of Latvian capital decided that such TV Bridge could be dangerous.
The preparation for TV Bridge with Riga, which was planned for Sep.27, within the teleconference “Direct Line with President” was going in Moscow according the schedule. This conference would be the fourth TV dialog of Vladimir Putin with Russians. Earlier, Putin talked to his compatriots through this medium in 2001, 2002, and 2003. Last year, Russian President was answering on the air questions from Ukrainians. However, there were no TV bridges conducted before with the countries, which are not part of the Confederation of Independent States.
The head of the Russian state never had problems with the previous bridges. They were meticulously prepared and directed. So, the decision of the Riga’s City Duma caught Moscow quite unprepared. The Press Secretary of Russian President Alexei Gromov categorically refused from any comments on the subject. Another Kommersant source in the Presidential Administration pointed out that “the refusal came not from the central authorities, but from the municipal ones.” “This refusal co-exists with the context of Riga’s Mayor recent visit to Moscow,” the source continued. “During this visit the sides discussed issues of economic cooperation. This incident proves that the separation of politics and economics in relationship between Russia and Latvia is nothing but utopia, and Latvian side never separates economic cooperation from the political complaints toward Russia. It is not accidental that Latvian media interpreted the refusal to communicate with Russian President directly as a refusal to provide Russia with a propaganda advantage. All our attempts to separate politics and economics turned out to be fruitless.”
In the mean time, Ugis Vidauskis, public relations representative at Riga’s City Duma, told Kommersant that the planned TV Bridge was going against the law “About safety of public celebration and entertainment events,” because too many people can gather the central city square. Moreover, Vidauskis said that according to the itinerary of approaching visit of Moldavian President Vladimir Voronin to Riga, on Sep.27 the guest was planning to take a stroll in Old Riga. So, it looks like Putin could prevent Voronin to enjoy the views of Latvian capital.
Neither Latvian Foreign Ministry nor local Presidential Administration criticized the decision of the city authorities. “The Latvian Foreign Ministry respects desire of Russian president to communicate with his compatriots abroad. However, the ministry thinks that the issues of both countries’ communications should be decided on the government, ministry or parliamentary levels,” Atis Lots, Press Secretary of the Foreign Ministry, stated. And Presidential Press Secretary Aiva Rozenberga pointed out that this issue” lays in the competence of Riga’s city Duma and the head of the state will hold herself from comments for this problem.”
Natalya Vasileva, editor in chief of Riga’s bureau of Russian First Channel, told Kommersant that the channel planned to set up TV cameras, monitors and other equipment on the square. Because of that, the First Channel sent a permission request for the event into the Riga’s City Duma. The Russian Embassy in Latvia also sent out invitations to local non-government organization to participate in the TV Bridge. However, last Friday Vasilieva was explained that the planned by her TV Bridge “in actuality does not fit the description from the submitted petition.” The city authorities found the event to be a discriminatory towards Latvian citizens. According the view of Riga’s city leaders the TV Bridge was announced as pubic and accessible event, which means that anybody has an opportunity to ask Russian President a question. However, in reality the event would be guarded and participants would be selected. Thus, the TV Bridge would be not fully accessible for the public. The representatives of the Mayor office insist that Vasilieva was offered to hold the event in enclosed space and she categorically refused.
It is interesting that the city Mayor Aivars Aksenoks currently is visiting Peru and Executive Director of City Duma Erik Shkarpas is on vacation. Without them, the Duma Committee for Public Events is headed by national-radical Andris Grinbergs. So, it looks like he was the one, who destroyed the TV Bridge with Russian President. However, Grinbergs rejected any suspicions in political engagement of his decision. He pointed out that even if this TV Bridge would be with the U.S. President George Bush, the decision of city authorities would be the same.
Vladimir Vodo, Riga
All the Article in Russian as of Sep. 26, 2005
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