Latvia has banned local lawmakers from traveling to Russia and Belarus
The Latvian Parliament has definitively adopted legislative changes that prohibit local government officials from visiting Russia and Belarus. The restrictions were introduced for national security reasons, specifically due to the risk of Russian and Belarusian intelligence services influencing officials involved in ensuring civil protection for the population.
On October 8, the bill was approved in its final reading. It was considered on an expedited basis, after which parliament adopted amendments to the law restricting actions that threaten national security.
The new provisions stipulate that local council members will not be allowed to travel to Russia and Belarus. The ban applies not only to direct visits to these countries but also to transit through their territories.
Prior to the adoption of these new amendments, similar bans were in place for a number of categories of Latvian civil servants and officials.
In particular, the following individuals are prohibited from visiting Russia and Belarus:
- persons with access to state secrets;
- employees of certain ministries;
- representatives of law enforcement agencies;
- military personnel and diplomats;
- employees of judicial and prosecutorial bodies;
- members of the Latvian Seimas and parliamentary staff.
Now, members of local government bodies have been added to this list.
Raimonds Bergmanis, Chair of the Saeima Committee on Defense, Internal Affairs, and Corruption Prevention, explained the need for legislative changes by citing the special role of local council members in the national security system.
According to him, representatives of local governments are involved in ensuring civil protection for the population. Their activities are of particular importance in Latvia’s border regions, where work on securing the state border is ongoing and defense issues are being addressed.
Bergmanis emphasized that every local government has its own civil protection plan, and local council members are part of the system responsible for its implementation.
That is precisely why the Latvian authorities are striving to prevent situations in which officials involved in ensuring security could fall under the influence of Russia or Belarus.
According to Bergmanis, particular concern is raised by the risks of influence on officials who possess security-related information or play a key role in crisis management.
The adopted amendments are intended to extend the current restrictions to all local council members, regardless of the purpose of the trip—whether they are visiting Russia or Belarus directly or transiting through the territory of these countries.
This was reported by Delfi.
On October 8, the Latvian Parliament passed a resolution prohibiting citizens of Russia and Belarus from acquiring a significant stake in critical infrastructure facilities or exercising decisive influence over them.
On October 3, Latvia elected 100 members of the Saeima in an election where security—due to threats from Russia, an aggressor state—was one of the central issues.
