Commission to draft compensation for Soviet occupation claim

Under the draft resolution, a deadline of 14 June is set for the commission to submit proposals to the government about the damages caused to Lithuania by the former Soviet Union in 1940-1991 and by the Russian army in 1991-1993, the Lietuvos Žinios daily reports.

The government suggests the commission should include nine members representing the Union of Political Prisoners and Deportees, historians, archivists, the International Commission for the Assessment of Crimes of Nazi and Soviet Occupational Regimes and the Justice Ministry. Teresė Burauskaitė, director general of the Genocide and Resistance Research Center, is proposed to chair the panel.

The daily cites prime minister's chancellor Deividas Matulionis who disagrees with the statement about stalled process of compensation of occupation damages over the past years. He says the issue had always been on Lithuania's agenda and was raised in a number of negotiations with Russia.

In Matulionis' words, the new commission should refer to the damage calculations made by its predecessor that establish the damages at 80 billion litas (EUR 23.2 b).

"However, this does not mean we will submit bills to Russia. We're now talking about some negotiating principles," the chancellor said.

In his words, hopes on the matter are pinned to the Polish-Russian relations.

"There has been increasing recognition on the Russian side. For example, recognition of the Katyn massacre and apology for it. This could serve as an example for the problems we're faced with," said Matulionis.

However, Burauskaitė says the compensation issue is hopeless due to Russia's refusal to admit the fact of occupation.

"It seems to me that the the issue should be finally defined, argued and raised in a way that the opponents had as few chances as possible to downplay it. Even if it is not addressed in the coming years, someday the time will come," the expert noted.

Justinas Karosas, deputy chairman of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, has said he sees no possibility for the settlement of the compensation issue of the Soviet occupation damages. He said he could not imagine negotiating the matter.

"Russia is unwilling to start any negotiations, it wants to avoid a precedent. The Soviet Union had occupied a number of countries. (...) Maybe we should agree that they apologize. But demanding money and calculating billions is, I think, a hopeless case," Karosas said.