RIGA. July 4 (Interfax-AVN/BNS) - The U.S. decision to freeze military assistance to a number of countries will leave Latvia without USD2.75m (about 1.5m lats) in 2003.
The document to this effect was handed over to Defense Minister Edgars Rinkevics by U.S. Military Attache Major Matthew J. Ans.
These funds were allocated by the U.S. Congress under its foreign military assistance program this spring, Airis Rikveilis, Defense Ministry spokesman, told Baltic News Service.
In addition, Latvia will not receive an extra USD1,478 (839 lats) envisioned in an international military education program. The two countries' officials agreed to continue discussions on the size of the suspended financing.
Nevertheless, U.S.-Latvian ties under other programs, including Latvia's role in the peacekeeping mission in Iraq, will continue in full.
However, the International Military Education program, providing for about USD1m, is also at risk.
Earlier reports indicated that the U.S. suspended military assistance to 47 nations on Tuesday, including Latvia, which had refused to sign a bilateral with the U.S. granting American citizens immunity from prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Latvia joined the 1998 Rome Treaty on the ICC and enacted it on its territory on September 1, 2002.
The ICC opened on July 1, 2003, when the Rome Treaty took effect. The court's responsibilities include trying people accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and military crimes committed in any country after July 1, 2002.
The Rome Treaty has been signed by 139 and ratified by more than 70 countries.