MINSK, 24 May (BelTA) – The Latvian ambassador has been asked to leave Belarus within 24 hours, Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said, BelTA has learned.
"The ambassador has been asked to leave Belarus within 24 hours. The entire diplomatic and administrative staff of the embassy have been also asked to leave Belarus - within 48 hours. We suggested they leave one administrative and technical officer here to care for the building," the minister said.
These days the Latvian capital of Riga is hosting the IIHF World Championship and has the flags of the participating countries raised in the city center. Today, Mayor of Riga Martins Stakis and Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics replaced the Belarusian state flag with the white-red-white flag.
"We cannot leave such provocative actions unanswered," the Belarusian minister of foreign affairs stressed.
"We are surprised to see such actions at a time when Belarus has expressed its willingness to conduct a transparent open investigation of the incident with the Ryanair plane with the participation of international experts. Against this background, not only some political vilifying statements are made, against Belarus but concrete actions and provocations are taken," the minister added.
