Latvia minister makes excuses for playing with Lukashenka

The head of Latvia’s Ministry of Environment and Regional Development Roman Naudinsh explained why he went to Minsk and met the dictator.

The politician visited Belarus’ capital in October 2013. Then the members of Latvian parliament played hockey with Lukashenka’s team. Belarusian propaganda by tradition used the game for its purposes and widely advertised it beforehand. There were banners with the information about the upcoming meeting about Minsk’s main avenue. Reports of yet another victory of the country’s main hockey player were on all the official TV channels that evening. Another visit took place in January 2014.

Some Latvian media reported that Roman Naudinsh, who was then the parliamentary secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Regional Development, went to sauna together with the Belarusian dictator. Now the politician is denying that. He claimed that in an interview to Neatkarīgā rīta avīze (NRA) commenting on the hockey games between the governments of the two countries, mixnews.lv reports.

“We just played hockey in Minsk that is all. Some media wrote that we were in sauna together with Lukashenka, although I did not exchange a single word to him – he left immediately after the game”, - Roman Naudinsh told.

According to the minister, hockey games between politicians are cultural and sports diplomacy.