
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, May 13, 1990                   TAG: 9005130019
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Cox News Service
DATELINE: MOSCOW                                LENGTH: Medium

THREE BALTIC REPUBLICS PLAN TO COOPERATE/ TREATY SIGNED, COUNCIL RE-CREATED

The three Baltic republics on Saturday signed a cooperation pact to help each other in their drives to gain independence from the Soviet Union.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania agreed to form the Baltic Council, whose purpose was described as "the full restoration of governmental independence of the three republics."

Their agreement to cooperate is likely to further anger Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, who has already said the three may secede from his country only by following Soviet law. That law requires a referendum in each republic, followed by a five-year period of transition.

Gorbachev has already slapped a partial economic blockade on Lithuania for its parliament's March 11 declaration of independence. He warned Latvia it could face similar punishment when it followed Lithuania on May 4. Estonia has not declared outright freedom, but in March adopted a step-by-step program to throw off Soviet rule.

The leaders of the three states Saturday held a one-day summit in the Estonian capital of Tallin and quickly agreed to revive their 1934 Treaty of Unity and Cooperation. In doing so, they said, they were re-creating the Baltic Council.

During 1918 to 1940 when the three were sovereign states, the council met regularly to coordinate foreign and domestic policies. It will do so again, the leaders said.

"We must do all we can to achieve our goal - the sovereignty of our three nations," said Latvian President Anatoly Gorbunovs.

The new alliance will not only provoke the Kremlin, but it will also increase the pressure on President Bush to back them more strongly.

Estonian President Arnold Ruutel said they were informing both Gorbachev and Bush of the new bloc. The two superpower leaders are to hold a summit in Washington from May 30 to June 3.

Bush administration officials have said that a further Soviet crackdown on Lithuania, or action against the other Baltic states, could lead to the withdrawal of economic incentives that Bush plans to extend to Gorbachev at the summit.

by CNB