Latvia’s new Prime Minister Kullbergs wants to end trade with Russia
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs will instruct Foreign Minister Baiba Braže to find a way to halt exports and imports with Russia, though there may be exceptions in certain sectors.
This is reported by Delfi, according to Censor.NET.
Details
He emphasized that, as before, he firmly maintains that business ties with Russia should not be maintained.
"This is an unnecessary dependency that only makes the situation worse," Kulbergs emphasized.
The prime minister said he would ask Braže to find a solution to this issue, but that it would need to be coordinated with the European Union as well, since Latvia is, first and foremost, a member of the EU trade bloc.
At the same time, he acknowledged that the situation in the pharmaceutical industry, for example, cannot be viewed in such black-and-white terms. Companies in this sector cannot quickly retrain their staff, as the certification process in other countries is a lengthy one.
"I know they have a plan and are cutting back [on volumes], but it can't be done overnight," said Kulbergs.
In addition, companies in the pharmaceutical industry possess chemical and biological expertise, as well as production capabilities, which could be important for Latvia in the defense sector in a critical situation, the prime minister noted.
"These opportunities must be preserved," he emphasized, adding that he intends to meet with companies in the pharmaceutical industry to discuss these issues.
In the first three months of this year, Latvia exported goods worth €244.15 million to Russia and imported goods worth €10.51 million from Russia.
