VILNIUS, RIGA REACT WARILY TO NATO-RUSSIA NEGOTIATIONS.

Lithuanian Parliament chairman Vytautas Landsbergis stated yesterday that Moscow’s resistance to NATO’s inevitable enlargement is "somewhat theatrical" and mainly designed to secure concessions in an eventual tradeoff. Landsbergis expressed concern over signs that Moscow might be permitted to augment its conventional forces near the Baltic States in return for accepting NATO’s enlargement in Central Europe. (Interfax, BNS, February 24) Other Baltic leaders have expressed similar concerns

Latvian president Guntis Ulmanis, meanwhile, has ruled out a treaty that would stipulate the neutrality of the Baltic States under joint Russian-NATO security guarantees. The proposal was made by Russian Duma vice-chairman Aleksandr Shokhin (of the government bloc) to Latvian Parliament chairman Alfreds Cepanis last week in Moscow, and was also aired by the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Policy Planning Staff chief Vadim Lukov. Obligations toward Russia would be inconsistent with the Baltic States’ independence, Ulmanis commented. (RIA, BNS, February 23-24)

Ukrainian-Romanian Treaty Negotiations Stand Better Chance.