BALTIC ASSEMBLY                                        
                            STATEMENT                                           
                                                                                
 CONCERNING THE DEVELOPMENT OF EVENTS IN THE  RUSSIAN FEDERATION                
                                                                                
     Following the  elections of  the Russian  Duma and  with the               
election of the President of Russia approaching, the situation in               
this neighbouring  country is  becoming   even more  complicated,               
including the  continuation of  the war  in Chechnya.  The forces               
which have  won the  elections to  the Duma, with their political               
resolutions reject  the  democratic way which was chosen in 1990-               
1991  and   strive  to   restore  the  USSR.  They  increase  the               
propagandistic, economic  and political  pressure on  the  Baltic               
States which have regained freedom  after 50 years of occupation.               
     The Baltic  Assembly invites all the countries and political               
forces to  support democracy  in Russia  and to  provide specific               
guarantees for the independence of the Baltic States.                           
                                                                                
Vilnius, 13 April 1996