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Russian embassy slams Latvia’s decision to seize building of Russian cultural center

The embassy said that it had notified the Latvian side about imminent retaliatory measures, which may include seeking compensation from Riga

VILNIUS, January 12. /TASS/. The Russian embassy in Latvia described the Latvian parliament’s bill that paves the way to confiscation of the House of Moscow in Riga as an arbitrary act.

"We view this decision by the Latvian parliament as arbitrary treatment and, in essence, as an act of state-sponsored raiding that blatantly violates fundamental norms of the international law protecting the [diplomatic] property of other countries," Russian diplomats said in a statement, posted on Telegram.

The embassy said that it had notified the Latvian side about imminent retaliatory measures, which may include seeking compensation from Riga.

"Not only this move clearly exposes the Latvian government’s reluctance to honor its international commitments in good faith, but also sets an extremely dangerous precedent," the statement says.

According to the Russian embassy, the move sends "a clear signal to foreigners who own property in Latvia, showing that neither national laws nor international treaties to which Riga is a signatory can protect their assets in this Baltic country."

Russian diplomats added that foreign assets "can be confiscated at any time, without a just cause or a judicial act."

"This unprecedentedly hostile act will not be left unanswered and will entail most serious consequences for its authors," the embassy warned.

The Moscow House, a cultural center for ethnic Russians living in Latvia, opened in Riga in 2024. It is formally owned by the Russian capital’s city property department.

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