Vitenbergs orders Transport Ministry's institutions and companies to remove all information in Russian from their websites

RIGA - Transport Minister Janis Vitenbergs (National Alliance) has ordered all institutions and companies subordinated to the ministry to review their Internet websites and remove all information in Russian by February 7, as the minister's advisor Alona Zandere told LETA.

The minister also advises these institutions and companies to update their websites by posting latest information on the current political and economic situation in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Although several Transport Ministry's companies operate only on the Latvian market and do not need to develop exports to and establish cooperation with countries where it is easier to communicate in Russian, there is still some content in Russian on their websites. Some posts on their websites also describe Russia as a potential target country for their exports.

Vitenbergs points out that Russia's invasion of Ukraine, countless war crimes and atrocities against the Ukrainian people have resulted in a wide range of sanctions imposed on Russia by both Latvia and the European Union.

"It is unacceptable that there is still communication being done in the language of a nation that has caused such unimaginable devastation. We are doing everything possible to minimize cargo transportation to and from Russia, at the same time, it is no less important to cut this mental link that has been dragging certain companies of the ministry down for decades," emphasizes Vitenbergs.

All institutions and companies responsible to the Transport Ministry must remove content in Russian from their websites until February 7.

Currently all information on the websites of almost all companies of the Transport Ministry is available only in Latvian and English, LETA observed. The only company whose website also has information in other languages is national airline airBaltic.