NID: USSR: BALTIC REPUBLICS MOVE TOWARD ECONOMIC AUTONOMY

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: The Collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe: A 30-Year Legacy
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06826749
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 26, 2019
• Document Release Date: December 10, 2019
• Publication Date: July 28, 1989

Approved for Release: 2019/10/29 C06826749
USSR: Baltic Republics Move Toward Economic Autonomy
The Supreme Soviet yesterday gave the Baltic republics the green
light to shift to self-financing in January. ahead of other regions. It
also endorsed in principle the Lithuanian and Estonian draft laws
on economic autonomy and set up a commission to prepare revised
verslons by October. The debate was sharp, and sonic top leaders�
including Politburo member Vorotnikov and State Planning
Committee head Maslyukov�raised numerous objections to the
laws, proposing that their approval be delayed. The Latvian
legislature yesterday joined Lithuania and Estonia in approving an
economic autonomy plan. Russian workers in Estonia have staged
brief strikes this week to protest proposed electoral laws that would
take the vote away from recent immigrants and soldiers.
Comment: The vote is a major victory for Baltic nationalists, who
regard republic economic autonomy as a key step toward achieving
independence from Moscow. It also significantly advances President
Gorbachev's campaign to decentralize economic decision making.
Nevertheless, many issues�including ownership of land and
resources, local currency, and control over republic budgets�remain
unresolved, and opposition from the Moscow bureaucracy to the
Baltics' initiatives is likely to remain strong. Many Russians in the
Baltics favor economic reform, but they are concerned that local
nationalists would use republic economic autonomy to close
enterprises traditionally dominated by Russians and r distribute
housing and other amenities.
NR Record
6
TOT-Sr7 Met-.
TCS 2874/89
28 July 1989
Approved for Release: 2019/10/29 C06826749