Estonia–Latvia relations Estonia–Latvia relations Estonia and Latvia, the two northernmost Baltic states, share 343 km of common borders. Both states share a long common history, having since the 13th century been ruled by the Livonian Order, Poland-Lithuania, Sweden and finally, until achieving independence in 1918, the Russian Empire. They were both re-occupied by the USSR between 1945 and 1991. Both countries reestablished diplomatic relations on January 3, 1992. Estonia has an embassy in Riga. Latvia has an embassy in Tallinn. Both countries are full members of the Council of the Baltic Sea States, NATO and the European Union. The two countries were
Human rights in Estonia used every international forum where the claims of the violations of human rights in Estonia have been presented. The United Nations Development Programme's forum Development and Transition has discussed the situation of Estonia and Latvia in 2005. James Hughes, a US sociologist from the Trinity College, claimed Latvia and Estonia are both states "captured by the titular ethnic groups", employing a "sophisticated and extensive policy regime of discrimination" against their respective Russophone populations. He names three "pillars" of discrimination: refusal of citizenship, language usage, and participation rights, and claims discrimination is constrained by the "economic dependence on Russophone labour". Nils