HC Deb 06 July 1988 vol 136 c611W
88. Mr. Madel

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has as to whether there have been any recent changes in Soviet policy towards the future status of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Mellor

In line with glasnost, more of the historical truth about the incorporation of the Baltic states into the Soviet Union and subsequent events is now emerging. The views of the Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian peoples can also be expressed with increasing freedom. Meanwhile, there are some signs of Soviet readiness to tolerate greater local autonomy, for example, in cultural and economic areas. We welcome these developments as part of the wider process of reform in the Soviet Union.

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