MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th September, 2022) Amendments to the law on the Latvian orthodox church will have consequences, Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador-at-Large Gennady Askaldovich said on Wednesday.
On Monday, Latvian President Egils Levits submitted amendments to the law on the Latvian orthodox church to parliament, according to which the fully independent status of the church is recognized. Levits said that "denial of any connection with the Moscow Patriarch" is important for Orthodox believers in Latvia and national security.
"We categorically reject such a policy. For Latvia, this will not pass without consequences," Askaldovich said.
According to him, it is possible that this bill is just another "populist move" before the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for October this year.
Askaldovich added that Latvia once again demonstrated the "russophobic orientation" of its policy, seeking to break the spiritual ties of the Russians living in Latvia with Russia.
On Wednesday, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said that Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have reached an agreement to restrict the entry of Russians from Russia and Belarus.
