Nobody Wants to Meet Belarusian Ambassador in Latvia :: Charter'97 :: News

The diplomatic row between Latvia and Belarus continues. It has started on July 27 in Minsk when Latvian diplomat Reimo Smits was charged distributing pornography. The Foreign Ministry of Belarus sent its Latvian colleagues a note with explanations. However on August 8 Latvian Foreign Minster Srtis Pabriks stated that he is not going to meet with the new Belarusian Ambassador in Latvia Alyaksandr Herasimenka even after receiving a note from Minsk.

“Before meeting Herasimenka, the Foreign Ministry wants to be given comprehensive explanation of the Belarusian side,” the Baltic News Service (BNS) agency was told by Mr. Pabriks. The minister believes that the Latvian side should “wait a few days for a more extensive explanations of Belarusian officials”, and only after that plan a meeting with a new Belarusian Ambassador in Latvia.

Police raiding the apartment of the second secretary of Latvian Embassy in Belarus Mr. Smits. A criminal action was brought up against him for distributing pornography. Latvia thinks it’s a gross breach on the Vienna convention and demands explanations.