This year's first six or, rather, nine months will show how things are going after May 1, when Latvia joined the European Union. On the whole, the developments give rise to optimistic forecasts. Commerce will not shrink badly, if at all, the diplomat said to the Riga-based Telegrafs newspaper.
As for transit freights, Russia accounts for 60% of the total. It has accumulated US$170 million capital investment in Latvia to come fourth after Sweden, the USA and Denmark.
Russian capital investment certainly promotes the Latvian economy, said the diplomat.
The Latvian market needs remaining attractive to Russian capital investors. A beneficial atmosphere in bilateral relations is necessary for that. Regrettably, the latest moves on the Latvian top run in a contrasting vein, he stressed.
Recent pronouncements came to Russia as a thunderbolt. As they hint, Latvia is out to instigate a conflict with Russia. A controversy round Mikhail Demurin was downright baffling. He is a household name in Latvia as chief of Baltic issues in Russia's Foreign Ministry. He visited Riga, February 27, for conference on the Foreign Ministry top. All of a sudden, he was barred entry to attend a political science forum. All that makes Russia doubt whether Latvian rulers really mean it as they say they are willing to improve bilateral contacts.
Last but not least, Latvia is discriminating against ethnic Russians. That, too, is a bad influence on bilateral relations, added the ambassador.
