Moscow's Envoy Criticizes Russophobic Latvian Media, Calls for Cooperation

There is an anti-Russian bias in the Latvian media and state structures, Russian Ambassador to Latvia Alexander Veshnyakov said Saturday, calling for the development of Moscow-Riga cultural relations.

RIGA (Sputnik) — On Monday, a regional conference of Russian compatriot organizations from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia opened in Riga.

"Currently, there has been a [so-called] Russophobic environment in the Latvian media; in their turn, law enforcement agencies have a biased attitude toward Russian non-governmental organizations and representatives of public opinion," Veshnyakov said at the conference, adding that it was important to develop the cultural dimension in the Moscow-Riga relations.

The ambassador expressed hope that Latvia would contribute to developing cultural ties by providing for the cultural events for the Russian-speaking ethnic minorities. The Russian diaspora makes up about 26 percent of the Latvian population, according to the 2015 census.

In his speech, Veshnyakov also spoke about the impact of the Western anti-Russia economic sanctions on trade and economic cooperation between Russia and Latvia. He stressed that some Russian investors had stopped their cooperation with Latvia in light of the restrictions.

Since 2014, relations between Russia and the European Union deteriorated amid the crisis in Ukraine. Brussels, Washington and their allies have introduced several rounds of anti-Russia sanctions on the pretext of Crimea's reunification with Russia in 2014 and Moscow's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian conflict. Russia has repeatedly refuted the allegations, warning that the Western sanctions are counterproductive and undermine global stability.