Saeima to review National Alliance's bill proposing a ban on sale of Russian and Belarusian goods in Latvia

RIGA - Saeima on Thursday forwarded to the Budget and Finance Committee a bill drafted by the National Alliance, which proposes a ban on sale of Russian and Belarusian goods in Latvia from July 1.

MP Janis Vitenbergs (National Alliance) called on Saeima deputies to support the bill, pointing out that 40 companies in Latvia continued to import goods from Russia and 28 from Belarus.

"It is absurd that Latvian citizens, often unknowingly, support the economies of the aggressor countries and feed the war machine by not choosing local products, even though we can produce them all better," said Vitenbergs.

For Stability leader Aleksejs Roslikovs criticized the National Alliance, saying that the party's MPs were not businessmen and therefore did not understand the possible impact of such a decision. The Russian dictator does not care about decisions taken by Latvia, but Latvia's residents depend on low prices, he said.

The National Alliance points out that Russia's war against Ukraine and Belarus' involvement in the war have created a situation in which any trade with these countries is not only immoral, but also provides direct support for the aggressor's economy. Dozens of companies still import food and other goods from Russia and Belarus in Latvia, thereby indirectly financing maintenance of the two countries' military capabilities. Every euro paid for Russian goods is a step closer to new attacks in Ukraine and potentially elsewhere in Europe, says the National Alliance.

In the bill, the National Alliance urges the prime minister to take the necessary steps to introduce a complete ban on the sale of Russian and Belarusian products in Latvia and, in cooperation with Lithuania and Estonia, achieve a similar ban throughout the Baltics. The party also urges the prime minister to suggest at the Council of the European Union to substantially increase customs tariffs on Russian and Belarusian goods throughout the EU.

The National Alliance claims that Latvia's leading business and farmers' organizations have expressed their support for a ban on the sale of Russian and Belarusian goods in Latvia, making it clear that such goods are neither economically nor ethically acceptable on the Latvian market.