RIGA - The visit of Latvian MEP Andrejs Mamikins from leftist pro-Russia Harmony party to Syria meets Russia’s geopolitical interests, said Security Police chief Normunds Mezviets in an interview with the Latvian public television on Tuesday.
He said that this has been an event organized by Russia to voice support to this country. "It is unfortunate that a MEP from Latvia has participated in this event," said Mezviets.
He said that Latvia is a democratic country and Mamikins may voice whatever opinion he wants, but the society should draw conclusions about the people taking positions of MEPs.
As reported, Mamikins, along with two other MEPs and members of the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament, met with Syrian President Bashar al Assad in Damascus in December 2016.
During the three-day visit, Mamikins also visited Aleppo. Mamikins, Estonian MEP Yana Toom and another Latvian MEP Tatjana Zdanoka also presented humanitarian aid to Syria.
BNS also reported that Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics (Unity) has called inacceptable the meeting of Latvian MEP Andrejs Mamikins with Syrian President Bashar al Assad.
Rinkevics posted on Facebook a copy of a letter he had received from Mamikins on March 7 in which the MEP said that he was going to meet with the Syrian president in the nearest future.
Rinkevics also pointed out that, in Latvia's opinion, representatives of the Syrian regime should be called to justice in the International Criminal Court for their crimes against civilians.
"Any contacts, including meetings between MEPs and Assad are to be perceived as support to the activities by the Syrian regime, and this is inacceptable," the Latvian foreign minister said in the letter to Mamikins.
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