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DERMOT MURNAGHAN: Now then, the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, will meet the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, in Paris today to discuss the Ukrainian crisis.  Fears have been raised that Vladimir Putin may have other Eastern European countries in his sights and amongst NATO members, Latvia has the largest percentage of native Russian speaking citizens.  The country’s Foreign Minister, Edgars Rinkevics, joins me now from Riga.  A very good morning to you, Foreign Minister, you’ve said that you are uneasy about Russia, does it go beyond that into concern about what may happen?

EDGARS RINKEVICS:  Well first of all we are very much concerned at what is happening currently in Ukraine and on its borders but we are not hysterical of course.  We are part of NATO, we are part of the EU and these things affect NATO and the EU of course who have to now act to reassure security of its borders including also the Baltic region. 

DM: You say reassure the security of the borders, what practically do you want to see done? 

EDGARS RINKEVICS:  We have already seen that there is increase in the Baltic area and we are very grateful to those NATO members offering additional assets including the United Kingdom.  We also want to see some contingency plans reviewed and probably also to see some increased permanent presence of some NATO assets on the ground. 

DM: Permanent NATO assets on the ground?  You’d like to see tanks and aircraft and perhaps some aircraft carriers offshore?

EDGARS RINKEVICS:  Well that wouldn’t be probably about aircraft carriers and tanks but I think about some other measures we are currently discussing within NATO would be appropriate so maybe [fence] issues and also some other assets but I wouldn’t go into details right now. 

DM: Do you think that any of the deterrents that have taken place so far are going to be effective and we’re seeing, what, some minor travel bans on a handful of people I suppose, some assets frozen, do you think that will do anything to stop Russia in its ambitions?

EDGARS RINKEVICS:  Well you know of course there have been some differences of opinion in the European Union how effective and how far we should act right now.  What we have got as a decision of 28 is the best deal we could get in quite an energetic discussion I would say.  I would certainly say that if there is [no] escalation then we will have to go to so-called Phase Three of sanctions which include also some embargoes on military equipment, also I think that would target some banking as well as straight issues as well but I would say this is a step that is needed if Russian troops invade eastern part of Ukraine, I would say some kind of escalation and we are of course a bit concerned now. 

DM: Can you just describe for me, Foreign Minister, what effect this is all having within Latvian society?  We mentioned there a sizeable number of ethnic Russians, people that speak Russian, is it causing tensions, is it causing disquiet?

EDGARS RINKEVICS:  No, it’s not causing tensions let’s say between Latvians and Russians but for many Latvians all the events as they currently unfold in Ukraine, also annexation of Crimea, do have some emotional feeling.  We have gone through that in 1940, there is some resemblance to the events of 1930s and of course emotionally it is quite a difficult issue for many Latvians and of course there is also quite a heavy Russian propaganda, I would even describe it as information warfare and we have of course some information that has been passed to Russian speaking population here in Latvia in accordance with the best traditions of let’s say Soviet propaganda warfare, so of course we have …

DM: You draw parallels with the 30s and 40s and of course Adolph Hitler and his annexation initially of the Sudetenland.  Is that one of the scenarios you are dealing with?

EDGARS RINKEVICS:   Well I would even say that for Latvia it is a little bit more parallel with our own history of 1940 when Soviet troops marched in and Latvian so-called elections and we were joining as propaganda at that time said in a very voluntarily way Soviet Union so we have our own history to remember as well but I would certainly say that some of let’s say justifications we hear from Moscow like now Russia is going to protect so-called Russian ward, the guarantee that all Russians are going to be in one country, of course is an issue that  we have to deal and we have to deal seriously and if the community of the Western countries do not address this seriously then I think it can of course see some progress in a negative sense also on the part of Russia continuing also in other parts of Europe but I would certainly say I wouldn’t describe our reaction as hysterical.  I am quite confident that if chosen, if let’s say our Russian population should choose between Europe and Siberia, they will certainly choose at the end of the day Europe.  

DM: Okay, Mr Rinkevics, thank you very much indeed for joining us.  The Latvian Foreign Minister there.