Baltics see royal visit as royal compliment

Oct 13, 2006, 3:26 GMT

Riga - The forthcoming visit of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II to the Baltic states is being seen in the region as a compliment to her hosts and a symbol of the Baltics' new international standing.

'This visit is a compliment to the Baltics. The UK wants to strengthen its links with the region,' Atis Lejins, head of the Latvian Foreign Policy Institute, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined the EU and NATO in 2004. As advocates of free-market economics and a pro-American foreign policy, they have been seen as natural allies for the UK.

'(Even before EU accession) there was the feeling that Estonia, with its free-market policies, was a good partner for the UK. Britain saw Estonia as a good potential ally,' said Vello Pettai, professor of political science at Estona's Tartu University.

The Baltics have also played an active role in US- and NATO-led military operations. At present, troops from the Baltics are involved in missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo and Bosnia, serving alongside NATO - including British - troops.

This cooperation will be highlighted during the visit, as the royal couple are scheduled to meet with troops returned from these missions - a move interpreted in the Baltics as recognition of the support they have given.

'This is a public demonstration of the links we have. It's a show of solidarity and support,' Lejins said.

This is the first visit by a reigning British monarch to the Baltic states. In recent months the queens of the Netherlands and Sweden have visited the region, and the king of Belgium is reported to be planning a visit.

'A queen is always a queen - at the very least, it's publicity. And Britain is bigger than the Netherlands,' Lejins said.

The royal couple will arrive in Lithuania on Monday 16 October. They will proceed to Latvia on Wednesday 18, and to Estonia on Thursday 19.