Latvia and Liechtenstein are against Russian and Belarusian athletes' participation in Paris Olympics - Rinkevics

RIGA - Latvia and Liechtenstein are unanimous that athletes with Russian and Belarusian passports must not be allowed to compete at the Paris Olympic Games next year, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics (New Unity) said at a news conference following a meeting with Liechtenstein's Foreign Minister Dominique Hasler on Monday. 

Rinkevics and Hasler told journalists that small countries must take a vocal stand for their values and formulate them clearly.

Hasler indicated that even though Latvia and Liechtenstein are small countries, they each has its own voice and that's a lot. Rinkevics noted that it is the leaders of authoritarian countries that tend to mix sports and cultural events with politics while trying to tell the world otherwise. 

The Latvian foreign minister said that the two countries have developed very close cooperation and have similar positions on several issues. For instance, both Latvia and Liechtenstein agree on the need for an international tribunal for Russia's war crimes in Ukraine.