"Russia remains committed to the principle of open borders for all residents of Latvia who wish to visit our country for tourism, business and humanitarian purposes, while the energy crisis is raging in the EU, which is caused by the short-sighted policy of local authorities," the diplomatic mission said.
By restricting the entry of Russians into the country, Latvia grossly violated the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the embassy added, noting that Riga resorted to blatantly racist policies and demonstrated its disrespect towards international agreements.
The embassy issued the statement after Latvia, as well as other Baltic states Lithuania and Estonia, closed their borders to most Russian citizens, leaving only few exceptions.