Riga  - Tensions rose Monday between Latvia and Russia ahead of a planned march to commemorate Waffen-SS soldiers on March 16, as Latvian foreign minister Maris Riekstins blasted Russian claims the Baltic state was glorifying Nazism.

"Nobody in Latvia is praising fascist ideology," Riekstins said during a TV interview on Monday.

On March 7, Russian media quoted an anonymous Russian foreign ministry source describing the Legionnaire's Day commemoration as a "Nazi supporters march" and drew parallels between it and Holocaust denial.

"Clearly the Russian foreign ministry does not have enough information about neo-Nazi trends in Russia, the murders of journalists and ethnic minority issues in Russia, otherwise it would never direct such criticism against Latvia, which has never found totalitarian ideology acceptable," Rieksins said.

March 16 is designated "Legionnaires Day" in Latvia, and traditionally includes a parade in central Riga to remember soldiers who fought on the German side in World War II.

The event is always a potential flashpoint, drawing crowds of nationalist supporters and anti-fascist demonstrators. Clashes have broken out in the past, though 2008's event was peaceful thanks to a large police presence.

However, Riga experienced serious rioting as recently as January 13, as a result of political and economic troubles, so this year's event looks particularly inflammatory.

As non ethnic-Germans, Latvians were prevented from joining the regular German army or Wehrmacht, so were instead formed into special units of the Waffen-SS called the Latvian Legion, in which no such restrictions applied.

Many Latvians view the Legionnaires as heroes who fought against the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states. Others, including Latvia's large ethnic Russian minority, say they were willing servants of Nazism. (dpa)