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Since declaring
independence in 1991, after 50 years of
Soviet rule, Latvia has been keen to
regain its place in Europe. 'In the
past, Latvia was an integral part of
Europe,' says Osmushkina. 'By joining
the EU, we're returning, but the
question is: what are the terms and
conditions of joining, because the
post-Soviet conditions in Latvia are far
from the perfect.'
Although 70 per cent of Latvians voted
to join the EU, Osmushkina's main
concern is how Latvia will cope with the
change in the short term. 'In my
opinion,' she says, 'Latvia is very weak
and is not fully ready to join without
problems. Financial support from the EU
will not be enough for Latvian companies
to quickly adapt to European regulations
and many local companies will go
bankrupt.'
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