Kulbergs: Latvia Cannot Unilaterally Ban Russian Grain Transit
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs says the country cannot currently halt the transit of Russian and Belarusian grain through its ports in full. He argues a ban could trigger legal disputes and strain ties with international partners.
Latvia cannot currently stop the transit of Russian and Belarusian grain through its ports altogether, Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs said on Saturday, 17 October, on the ETV+ news programme "Aktuālā kamera". In his words, a ban could lead to court proceedings and complicate relations with international partners.
Kulbergs explained that by the time the grain reaches Latvia, it already belongs to foreign companies. These include firms from the United States, Switzerland, Japan and other countries that support Latvia and also buy produce from Latvian farmers.
"A ban would mean serious litigation, because we would be banning not the transit of Russian grain, but the activities of companies owned by our strategic partners," the prime minister said.
The tariff question
Before the election, Kulbergs proposed raising tariffs on the transit of such grain significantly. In the end, a 25% surcharge was introduced instead.
The prime minister also criticised the work of the company responsible for setting tariffs and suggested changing the current regulatory system.
A solution at EU level
According to Kulbergs, transit of Russian and Belarusian grain can be stopped completely only at the level of the European Union. Unilateral restrictions by individual member states could carry legal and economic consequences.
