Since the Latvian ambassador to Russia has long been recalled, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the temporary chargé d'affaires of Latvia in Russia, Ramona Krasovska, to whom a protest was expressed, the Russian foreign policy agency reported.
Ramona Krasovska was not alone at Lavrov's office – she was accompanied by her colleagues from Lithuania and Estonia.
"The temporary chargé d'affaires of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia were summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, where a strong protest was expressed regarding the unfriendly authorities of these countries introducing regulations on the administrative and economic activities of the Russian embassies in Riga, Vilnius, and Tallinn," the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.
Krasovska and her colleagues were informed about the violation of Article 25 of the Vienna Convention of 1961. According to the document, the host state is obliged to provide "all opportunities" for the performance of the representation's functions. The regulations affected the Russian diplomatic missions in Riga, Vilnius, and Tallinn.
"The heads of the diplomatic missions were informed that the Russian side reserves the right to take appropriate retaliatory measures," the Russian Foreign Ministry threatened.
What all this means is unclear – the Russian agency did not specify what measures against the Russian embassies are being referred to, and what might be undertaken in response.
Additionally, Latvia has not yet reacted to the Russian demarche. In any case, neither on the website of the Latvian Foreign Ministry nor on the social media of Foreign Minister Baiba Braže has anything been said about the protests from Moscow.
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