On Monday, the Latvian government voted in favor of introducing a ban on grain imports to Latvia from Russia and Belarus. The matter is to be considered by the Sejm in February.
Latvia has been considering introducing a ban on grain imports from Russia for some time, but so far the ruling coalition has emphasized that a common decision on this issue is necessary at the EU level, writes the LETA agency.
Half of the residents support the ban
A survey conducted by Norstat shows that half of the country’s population supports the introduction of such a ban. Among Latvians, the percentage in favor of such a solution is 66 percent, while among Russian-speaking respondents, two-thirds said they were against it.
Yes, but not only in Latvia
Last week, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina said that it makes no sense for only Latvia to ban grain imports from Russia. A unilateral decision to ban the import of Russian grain would only be a “ban on paper”, which in reality will not be respected, because the grain will go to the EU, including Latvia, “through other channels”, Silina emphasized.
Last year, approximately 535,000 were imported from Russia to the EU through Latvian border crossings. tons of grain – by approx. 200 thousand tons more than a year earlier.
