The Latvian Ambassador to Moscow, Maris Riekstins, said on Wednesday, April 28, that the meeting at the Russian Foreign Ministry was held in a professional manner, and he will inform Riga about its results.
Earlier that day, it became known that the ambassadors of Lithuania and Latvia, as well as a representative of the Estonian embassy arrived at the Russian department against the background of the expulsion of Russian diplomats from these countries. So, Riekstinsh and Lithuanian ambassador Eitvydas Bayarunas arrived there. Also, the Minister-Counselor of the Estonian Embassy in Moscow, Piret Reintamm Benno, entered the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
Diplomatic relations between Russia and a number of countries have worsened after Czech Prime Minister Andrei Babis on April 17 announced the suspicion of the Russian special services of involvement in the explosion at an ammunition depot in Vrbetica in 2014. On the same day, the Czech Republic decided to expel 18 Russian diplomats.
Moscow, in response, announced 20 employees of the Czech embassy in the Russian Federation persona non grata. As a result, by May 31, the embassies of the Czech Republic and the Russian Federation will have seven diplomats, 25 technical staff and 19 people received locally.
In solidarity with the Czech Republic, on April 23, the Estonian Foreign Ministry announced the expulsion of the Russian diplomat. Also, Latvia and Lithuania announced the expulsion of Russian diplomats.
However, on April 27, it became known that the prime ministers of the Visegrad Group countries (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary) condemned Russia for alleged involvement in the explosions at an ammunition depot in Vrbetica in 2014 and a reaction to the expulsion of Russian diplomats from the Czech Republic.
Moscow denied the accusations of the Czech authorities, and the fact that Prague does not publish the report on the explosion, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova called evidence of a lie.