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Latvia’s ambassador summoned to Russian MFA over demolition of Soviet monuments

Maris Riekstins was notified that the Latvian authorities’ steps to create obstacles to the functioning of the Moscow House cultural center in Riga and the Yantarny Bereg sanatorium in Jurmala with a view to the possible expropriation of these Russian properties were utterly unlawful

MOSCOW, November 10. /TASS/. Latvia’s ambassador to Russia Maris Riekstins was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday. Russia expressed a strong protest in connection with the ongoing policy of state vandalism in Latvia for dismantling Soviet memorials, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a news release.

"On November 10, Latvia’s ambassador to Moscow, Maris Riekstins, was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry. A strong protest was expressed to the chief of the Latvian diplomatic mission in connection with the ongoing policy of state vandalism in Latvia for dismantling Soviet memorials. We consider this barbarism in the context of Riga’s official policy of glorification of Nazism," the Foreign Ministry said.

"Attention was drawn to the ambassador's public anti-Russian statements, in particular, those to the effect that Riga was demolishing monuments to Soviet liberators because Russia's special military operation in Ukraine was allegedly a continuation of the war against fascism in the middle of last century. It was noted that such neo-fascist statements by a diplomat working in Russia were unacceptable," the Foreign Ministry stressed.

Riekstins was notified that the Latvian authorities’ steps to create obstacles to the functioning of the Moscow House cultural center in Riga and the Yantarny Bereg sanatorium in Jurmala with a view to the possible expropriation of these Russian properties were utterly unlawful.

"It was emphasized that all responsibility for these and other hostile actions will be placed entirely on the Latvian side. We reserve the right to take retaliatory steps, including asymmetric ones, which will certainly be sensitive for Riga," the Foreign Ministry said, adding that the ambassador took note of Moscow's position.

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