Latvian Foreign Minister, Maris Riekstins, has spoken out in support of Iceland; telling Reuters that some nations’ response to the Icelandic president’s Icesave decision has been “exaggerated”. He explains that Iceland is simply following its own democratic rules.
He said that it is the Icelandic President’s constitutional right to send any bill to a public vote.
Riekstins told Reuters that the harsh reaction from the UK and Netherlands, among other things questioning the very basis of Icelandic politics, is exaggerated and raises questions about a nation’s right to carry out its own democratic processes in relation to agreements with other countries.
“Are these reactions coming just because Iceland is a small nation?” Riekstins asks, adding: “It is difficult to imagine these same countries would have acted the way they have against the French President [for example].”
He ended by saying that it remains clear that Iceland intends to stand by its obligations.
Latvia and Iceland have enjoyed a particularly close relationship since Iceland was the first nation to recognise Latvian independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
OK Fisy, I guess I really don’t agree with you. Don’t worry about Iceland joining the EU.
‘west ‘ did write :
>Fisy, I have to repeat what I said. I actually agreed with some of your comments
west it is so nice that you do agree with me. But what exactly them do you disagree with in my comments ?
I like specifics if we are to have nice civlized discussion that people want to read here.
EU commission like idea of independent Iceland become part of EU because it “prove” that EU is *essential* and that to survive in modern world of globalization must be part of EU.
Iceland in EFTA ( as let us face it UK should be back to EFTA too ) is inconvenient to they view of the world. They must prove that Iceland post 1976 as *idea * cannot exist.
https://www.icenews.is/index.php/2009/04/29/international-interest-in-iceland’s-eu-position-persists/#comment-74169
https://www.icenews.is/index.php/2009/04/29/international-interest-in-iceland’s-eu-position-persists/#comment-74262
“Ou you don’t know, latvia are in wery deep houle, deper then island. I’am from latvia, and situation came to worst with every day:(”
My point exactly and the same applies to Lithuania.
Fisy, you shouldn’t worry about Iceland joining the EU.
[…] Read the rest here: Latvian FM wades into Icesave argument | IceNews – Daily News […]
Fisy, I have to repeat what I said. I actually agreed with some of your comments. Read them again. In any case Iceland is not part of the EU, so the EU doesn’t really matter to you.
“I notice a lot of anti-EU rhetoric on this website. Although the EU has way too many politicians and bureaucrats and the EU agricultural subsidies are ridiculous, in general it works well. It also gives Europeans something to do ,complain about the EU, instead of killing each other.”
Ou you don’t know, latvia are in wery deep houle, deper then island. I’am from latvia, and situation came to worst with every day:(
>The loan is optional, Iceland is free to get a loan elsewhere at far higher rates if interest.
The UK and Holland did make this payout to they depositor on our TIF ( 94/19/EC guarantee fund )’s behalf without asking first.
Then they did set the terms of loaning the money back to us. That we would pay them back was agreed in Novembmer 2008 in principle but ” negotations ” did take all the way through to May 2009 before we all found out what the terms were.
Regarding this loan made, Bjarni does make this clear analogy :
” ..your two neighbors made an agreement with your bank, without getting prior written authorization to you, that you in case of their bankruptcy, you would guarantee their payments also, even if your own house was burned down recently by your son. The bank is threatening to bankrupt you and your children, unless you sign a new loan to cover the neighbors losses also. ”
https://www.icenews.is/index.php/2010/01/06/iceland-president’s-icesave-decision-drawing-harsh-international-response/#comment-109219
It is well worth the time to read that post and Bajrni’s later comments detailed in it. I think many people will find new facts and understandings.
Peter let’s forget if it’s Icelanders fault or not. There is a saying “you cannot take anything from somebody that has nothing to give”
So everything comes down to the question: Is Iceland able to pay back? Of course the creditors want their money back as soon as possible, even if in the process the country will be destroyed. (That’s what the IMF usually does)
In my view the involved parties have two paths to go. Either they will agree on a repayment scheme that will be viable for Iceland, or Iceland will default (as many countries did in the past) and will try to rebuild it’s economy by its own means while reducing greatly its imports.
I’m sure you support the former path no?
“UK can go to hell for what it has done.”
You mean allowing its citizens to be robbed of £3billion++ and then demanding thats Iceland treats its depositors exactly the same as Icelanders, fulfil the legal obligations and pay the guarantee?
Does anybody really care about the EU or UK for that matter?. EU is a joke both in Europe and around the world. UK can go to hell for what it has done.
johanna sigurdarsdottir.i have a question for you to solve…. say u are been given the assignment to investigate a muder case… would u first bury the body of the victim and then begin investigation or u start your investigation right from the body of the victim and then procede to other available source of information? i will be very happy if you can answer this question in relation to your country problem. you know quit alright that some criminals in your country embessle this money we talking about and as a pm instead of using your power to investigate this, you choose to chooke your citizen first, giving the criminals access to run away…. indeedi can really understand you all… you all must be tiger wood trying to cover up some ****… but remmember whatever problem you brought on this nation will be tagged to your name forever… thanks to olafur the president… guess he dint allow you kid to play the same trick on him and he wouldn,t want the innocent blood drop on his palm… think twice and repent… you have all betrayed this great paradise iceland just bcos of your greed and selfishness… may god fight for the innocent people of iceland amen
And west, yes I am a EU skeptic.
The way that those that think the EU is a good thing for Icelander will change my and other people’s minds ( the over 60% who are against the EU member ship now ) is through giving hard facts why EU member ship would be good for Icelanders.
Woolly reasons will not work.
That is exactly what Social Democrats have tried when they have decided to give us any words on the topic at all. And that is why so many are against the current government pushing the EU member ship negotiations which people did * not * want.
So if you want to change my and others mind then engage in factual debate about the benefits for us.
For myself, I did not suddenly wake up with idea that EU is bad for Icelander. Instead I did read into matter in detail over serveral years to understand how the words of the EU burecrats get into their actions, and what their ideas for the future are.
And I am sorry to say that the more I researched the less impressed I did get.
As I have said before, one thing that I really do not understand is why the UK in particular ( which very similiar to Iceland in many ways ) does not leave the EU and join EFTA ( which UK did itself found in the 1960) :
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/100020456/ten-reasons-to-leave-the-eu/
Who’s who in the EU commission :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWSYMpuCFaQ
On Democracy in the EU and Commission :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMZbs6zu5PU
( These are official recordings of an MEP speaking in the EU parliament ).
On Jan 7, 2010, west said:
>I notice a lot of anti-EU rhetoric on this website.
You mean how the EU works is explained here ? Why would that mean it is anti-EU ?
>Although the EU has way too many politicians and bureaucrats and the EU agricultural subsidies are ridiculous, in general it works well
It works well for the burecrats and politicians appointed that do have they fat salaries and they huge expenses allocations to abuse.
“The above comment from Peter shows what a complete moron he is.How can any country be insignificant?
It’s morons like you that make me embarrassed to be English.”
Are you telling me an economy of 330k people is ‘significant’? Get real.
Comparing Iceland to France or any of the top ten economies is ridiculous – what passes for normal business practice in Iceland would make headline news if it happened in France – the Elf scandal for instance. The biggest scandal in Europe since WW2, yet its dwarfed by the corruption and fraud that’s happened within Iceland (e.g. give your convicted fraudster friend a Bank, allow him to claim billions in dividends and never pay anything in return) – without a hint in the international press.
Obviously nobody gives a **** about what happens in Iceland. Hence, insignificant.
“However many Icelanders don’t agree with the rates charged by Britain and Holland so they complained ”
The loan is optional, Iceland is free to get a loan elsewhere at far higher rates if interest.
You, like many people, including Icelanders them selves, are applying an ‘insignificant’ tag to Iceland. The belief is that Iceland can’t afford to pay its debts – the feeling in the UK should pay instead (implication: Iceland is tiny therefore its debts don’t matter and UK is big – it should pay instead).
Icelands debt to the UK is worth about £50 per person, this is money that Icelanders have stolen out of the pockets of the British people. I want any British or Dutch person who thinks that the cute little Icelanders deserve to be let off the debt to start collecting £50 from their friends and members of the public. Don’t ask, just put your hand in their pockets and help yourself – young old, children too. Steal away. I hope you Don’t need to keep your teeth.
( On Jan 7, 2010, Marc said:
The problem is that Iceland (the democratically elcected government of Iceland) signed agreements with other EEA countries (including the UK and the Netherlands), that Iceland currently does not want to honour any longer.
So “Iceland’s signature” is not worth the money the paper it is written on. )
On Jan 7, 2010, Leo said:
>@ Bjarni
>
>[ ‘Marc’ ] is referring to the EEA/EU regulation that Iceland agreed to that requires all countries to have a deposit guarantee system in place for its banks, including its foreign deposits. That is an agreement that Iceland, whether its government, president or its people doesn’t seem to want to honour.
This apparently ‘tag ‘ team posts by you ‘Leo ‘ and ‘Marc ‘ has already seen the facts to your misunderstandings ( to be generous ) posted here :
https://www.icenews.is/index.php/2010/01/07/the-emergence-of-icesave-empathy-for-iceland-in-uk-media/#comment-109237
And now you are back here with more ” misunderstandings ” of the facts.
Giving you benefit of doubt that you have not read the other numerous explanations about Directive 94/19/EC and its implementation in EU and EFTA states ( including Iceland ) here at IceNews here are some facts * again *..
1) Leo, ‘Marc ‘ is probably referring to that our president Ólafur Ragnar did put the December law to a referendum.
That our current government did pass a law giving in to unreasonable British and Dutch demands — and this is likely to be stopped by the referendum — obviously is unpopular with those governments because they thought they would get the rapacious changes and more income that December law would give them because it does reverse the ” Ragnar Hall ” issue back in their favour, etc.
But what you ‘ Leo’ said interpeting Marc that ” EEA/EU regulation that Iceland agreed to that requires all countries to have a deposit guarantee system in place for its banks, including its foreign deposits. That is an agreement that Iceland, whether its government, president or its people doesn’t seem to want to honour. ” is totally false. But I think you already know that.
If Iceland did not want to honor its commitments our parliament would not have passed the August law that gave the state guarantee to IceSave.
That law remains even if the December law is crushed ( as expected ) in the referendum.
Vast majority of Icelanders want to pay our obligations and that is reflected that our parliament that does represent us did pass the August law.
We just want the contract to be reasonable. And the original June agreement wasn’t and was very sloppily done,and the UK and Dutch trying to get back those June unreasonable terms which is what our spineless government did with the December law is just unacceptable to the Icelandic people who will have to pay for it.
As Bjarni does make clear :
https://www.icenews.is/index.php/2010/01/07/the-emergence-of-icesave-empathy-for-iceland-in-uk-media/#comment-109305
” the UK/Netherlands decided to change ALSO the other amendments/conditions (for example, the Ragnar Hall issue) which were much more important to the Icelandic population. By forcing these additional changes to the agreement they made it much harder for the new laws to pass through Althingi. If it does not pass through the referendum because of this, they can only really blame themselves.
Why not limit the changes to what UK/Netherlands have repeatedly stated publicly was so important to them, and leave the rest alone? ”
Icelanders pay they debts. We will pay our part for IceSave.
We will not however accept 5.5% interest in a way that means we end up paying more than our obligation or putting our state into bankrupcy just because some negligent fools are sitting in our government seats right now.
@ Leo
“He is referring to the EEA/EU regulation that Iceland agreed to that requires all countries to have a deposit guarantee system in place for its banks, including its foreign deposits. That is an agreement that Iceland, whether its government, president or its people doesn’t seem to want to honour.”
That last statement is outrageous. The president, Ólafur Ragnar, has already signed a previous bill back in 2009, declaring that we will indeed pay those debts. However, the Dutch and the British governments didn’t agree to that bill(or contract if you will) so our government had to go and make another one which is the one in discussion now. This latter contract is so much worse than the first one, with very important amendments completely cut out, far too high rates, etc.
So please, take a moment and summon all the facts before jumping to conclusions. This has never been a question about wether or not we’re going to repay that money. This is a question of trying to find a way for a small country with a very small economy to pay a gigantic debt, whilst recovering from a flat out bank collapse.
Petros, I don’t know who caused the economic problem in Latvia, but the problem in Latvia did not directly spill over to other countries. The economic problem in Iceland was caused by the Icelandic government and Icelandic business people, and their mismanagement affected many people in other countries. The government and business people in Iceland are a very tight community.
I was joking about Latvia helping Iceland. I know about Latvia’s problems. It seems odd though that none of Iceland’s strongest supporters are willing or able to help Iceland financially.
>Its only because Iceland is such a tiny and insignificant country
The above comment from Peter shows what a complete moron he is.How can any country be insignificant?
It’s morons like you that make me embarrassed to be English.
Iceland hasn’t refused to repay the money.However many Icelanders don’t agree with the rates charged by Britain and Holland so they complained and a referendum awaits.
The UK has sistematically being overlooking its obligations to EU environmental directives ( for instance) and no one says british word is worthless. The UK supported an illegal war like it was in Iraq, and I don´t hear about the UK being antidemocratic.
International agreements are continously being modified and overruled, because they are not law from god, and are linked to the will of people…and that´s what the people of Iceland is going to do: decide their future.
For a big economy like the british one, trying to terrify a tiny community like Iceland and to overrun their resources and the future of their people is not only inmoral, but absolutely embarrassing. I would be ashamed to have such politicians if I were british. How can you cope with the idea of steal €40.000 to every family in Iceland, having nothing to do with the subject? are you so sick and greedy to think that´s normal?
Further, the money owed come from the carry trade wich is speculation, so to me, those gambling pretty much deserve the loss.
By the way, money is not everything in life…
@Kaj “No way a representative majority has a license to sell away whole country. No democracy can allow that.”
But isn’t that exactly what happened?
@West “Perhaps Latvia should help Iceland financially”
I don’t think the Latvians are in position. They are the same victims and under the same blackmail from this globalised banking gang that -under the scenes- governs almost every western country.
to Jamie!!
I do not know why Czech pilots was fighting for in the 2nd worl war!!!! For people like u????
The EU and NATO is somethign what we can cancel, it is just always about France,Germany and the UK!!!
Hooray!! now Latvia is joining Iceland in the spreading ‘Anti-Bailout Rebellion’ of 2010 … next up hopefully Ukraine will default after its Presidential election on 17 January, if so, then come along all you citizens of Greece, California, Portugal, Ireland and Britain .. are you all going to just sit there and wait until these spectacular new national debts palmed onto you by venal politicians and banksters are then sold off to Vulture Fund Managers clutching High Court judgements in their brief-cases that give them a ‘legal’ right to suck out your health services (see Zambia, Liberia etc)? Long Live Grimsson!!
“Are these reactions coming just because Iceland is a small nation?” Riekstins asks, adding: “It is difficult to imagine these same countries would have acted the way they have against the French President [for example].”
The thought that France -or any other first world nation – would refuse/be unable to pay its depositor protection guarantee is difficult to imagine.
Its only because Iceland is such a tiny and insignificant country that the nepotism, crony-ism and criminality in its political and business areas has gone un-noticed.
That broke country can keep out! Isnt it funny how quickly people forget, if it wasnt for the US and UK the baltics wouid still be part of Russia. Germany and France didnt even want them in the EU and NATO. I dont know why we bother sending the R.A.F to patrol Lativia!
@ Bjarni
He is referring to the EEA/EU regulation that Iceland agreed to that requires all countries to have a deposit guarantee system in place for its banks, including its foreign deposits. That is an agreement that Iceland, whether its government, president or its people doesn’t seem to want to honour.
To Marc:
>>>>The problem is that Iceland (the democratically elcected government of Iceland) signed agreements with other EEA countries (including the UK and the Netherlands), that Iceland currently does not want to honour any longer. So “Iceland’s signature” is not worth the money the paper it is written on.
What exactly are you talking about, by “agreements that Iceland does not want to honour any longer” and “Iceland’s signature”? Please be more specific with actual references and exact quotes, so we can determine whether this statement is for real. Lot of people here have unfortunately been making up “facts”, so they can somehow support their outlandish opinions.
I notice a lot of anti-EU rhetoric on this website. Although the EU has way too many politicians and bureaucrats and the EU agricultural subsidies are ridiculous, in general it works well. It also gives Europeans something to do ,complain about the EU, instead of killing each other.
Perhaps Latvia should help Iceland financially.
The problem is that Iceland (the democratically elcected government of Iceland) signed agreements with other EEA countries (including the UK and the Netherlands), that Iceland currently does not want to honour any longer.
So “Iceland’s signature” is not worth the money the paper it is written on.
Parliament is not suppose to be a “dictatorship of a majority”. That is not democracy. There is a limit that in a democracy a parlament can and cannot do. No way a representative majority has a license to sell away whole country. No democracy can allow that.
Hold on Icelanders! We support you.