Latvija in brief

President Andris Berzins has nominated current Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma (Unity) to head the new government, LETA was informed by the president’s press secretary Liga Krapane.
The Presidential Chancery has received an official latter of resignation from the current government. The president has since sent an official letter to the State Chancellery, nominating Straujuma to head the next government.
As reported, the pending new government, made up of Unity, the Greens/Farmers and All for Latvia!/For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK finally came to agreement of the distribution of ministerial portfolios last week.
The breakdown is as follows: for Unity – the office of prime minister (Straujuma), finance minister (Janis Reirs), foreign minister (Edgars Rinkevics), interior minister (Rihards Kozlovskis) and transport minister (Anrijs Matiss), education and science minister (Marite Seile). For the Greens/Farmers – the office of minister of agriculture (Janis Duklavs), defense minister (Raimonds Vejonis), welfare minister (Uldis Augulis), economics minister (Dana Reizniece-Ozola) and health minister (Guntis Belevics). For VL!-TB/LNNK – minister of environmental protection/regional development (Kaspars Gerhards), justice (Dzintars Rasnacs), culture (Dace Melbarde), and, as Saeima Speaker, the party has nominated Inara Murniece.

The Defense Ministry has condemned the action of Russian actor Mikhail Porechenkov, who earlier this week, dressed in ‘’press’’ gear, was seen in a video firing on Ukrainian army positions in rebel-held Donetsk.The Defense Ministry believes that international law has been violated, as this person had a helmet with ‘’press’’ written on it, and is an obvious deception tactic by the pro-Russia separatists in the region. The ministry points out that more importantly, with his actions, this person has exposed real press representatives working in the region to danger, who might be wearing similar marked clothing and helmets, Defense Ministry spokesman Kaspars Galkins told LETA. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics (Unity) has written on his ‘’Twitter’’ account that Latvia will continue to follow its policy towards those who undermine the principles of international law, and that Porechenkov is not a welcome person in Latvia. Thus, the minister has made it clear the Russian film star will likely be put on Latvia’s persona non grata list.