Aleksejs Rosļikovs
MINSK, 9 April (BelTA) – Cooperation with Belarus gave Latvia the opportunity to feel as comfortable as possible, chairman of the Latvian party Stability and a former member of the Latvian Seimas Alexey Roslikov said at a press conference, BelTA has learned.
“Today, fuel prices in Latvia have increased 2.5 times. Before our leaders invented a story to avoid cooperating with Belarus, the country supplied over 700,000 tonnes of fuel, giving Latvia access to high-quality fuel. This illustrates the scale of Belarus’ potential: it fed its own people and, at no loss to itself, provided Latvia with critically needed fuel. That 700,000 tonnes represent half of Latvia’s entire consumption. These figures, in my view, should once again confirm that Belarus cared and allowed Latvia to feel as comfortable as possible,” Alexey Roslikov said.
The Latvian politician also noted that utility bills, say for a two-bedroom apartment, have climbed to €400, while hot water in Riga costs €10 per cubic meter. “Just think what a price we are paying for the loss of contacts, friendship and relations with Belarus. Furthermore, without Belarusian potash fertilizers, we will not be able to feed our population. Food security in Latvia is a matter of cooperation with Belarus. Your country is capable of guaranteeing this security to Latvia and the Baltic countries, of guaranteeing a future and the assurance that under any negative scenario, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia will be fed,” he said.
Alexey Roslikov stressed that living standards in Latvia and the Baltic states have fallen dramatically. “Why? Because the main channels of income for our country and the region, namely transit, have been cut off. Both the railway and land routes have ground to a halt. A huge industry that generated enormous income for people is not working today. And today, a dozen eggs costs €1 in your country, but in ours it costs between €3.5 and €6. Ordinary people in Latvia have no way to survive right now. Today, people are having to choose between paying their utility bills or feeding their children. Today, people in the Baltics are taking out loans just to cover their utility bills. If we were able to admit this defeat today, we would have a superb opportunity to come, shake hands with your leadership and come to an agreement. Today, the ability to feed our people and secure our country’s future depends directly on good-neighborly, proper and, most importantly, non-hostile relations,” the former member of the Latvian Seimas said.
The politician added that by being unwilling to cooperate with Belarus and Russia, the country has achieved the closure of kindergartens and schools. “We are recording situations where not a single child is born in a 24-hour period. The demographic situation is terrible, with a decline of 10-15% annually. At this rate, by 2030, the lights can simply be switched off in Latvia’s maternity wards. There will be no one there,” Alexey Roslikov noted.
Photos by Vitaly Pivovarchik/BelTA
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