Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Latvia does not plan to change its current visa issuance procedures for Uzbek citizens following diplomatic measures taken by Uzbekistan, Uzbek Foreign Ministry spokesperson Omonullo Faiziev said.
The statement followed reports that Latvian Interior Minister Janis Dombrova had proposed temporarily restricting visa issuance to Uzbek citizens. The Interior Minister cited cases in which several Uzbek citizens committed offences shortly after arriving in Latvia, including offences involving minors.
Dombrova proposed suspending visa issuance to Uzbek citizens for a certain period and using that time to cooperate with the Uzbek side to prevent the entry of individuals who could pose a threat to public order and security.
The issue was scheduled to be considered at a meeting of the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers on 29 September, but it was not placed on the agenda because coalition partners of the National Alliance were not ready to support the proposal. Latvia’s Interior Ministry expected the issue to be considered at the next meeting.
Earlier, the Latvian side had also proposed accepting visa applications only from certain categories of Uzbek citizens, including family members of Latvian citizens and Uzbek citizens with the right to reside in Latvia, citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland, as well as people whose entry was related to humanitarian circumstances or employment in freight and passenger transport.
According to Faiziev, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry took diplomatic measures immediately after reports emerged about possible restrictions.
The Embassy of Uzbekistan in Riga held meetings and negotiations with officials from the office of the Latvian Prime Minister, representatives of the foreign and economy ministries, and the presidential administration. The Consular and Legal Affairs Department of the Uzbek Foreign Ministry also held talks with the Latvian Embassy in Uzbekistan.
During these contacts, the Uzbek side conveyed its position to its Latvian counterparts regarding the potential impact of the proposed measures on bilateral relations. Following the talks, the Latvian side said there was no need to change the existing visa issuance procedures.
Faiziev said Uzbekistan highly values its friendly and mutually beneficial relations with Latvia and considers it an important partner in the European Union. According to him, cooperation between the two countries is developing in the political, trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian, and migration spheres.
At the same time, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry urged citizens staying abroad or planning trips to comply with the laws of their host countries, respect their national customs and traditions, and behave responsibly.
“Offences committed by individuals can have a negative impact not only on them but also on other Uzbek citizens,” the Foreign Ministry representative said.
The situation saw further developments on 1 October, when Latvia’s Interior Minister said that temporary residence permits had been revoked for two Uzbek citizens. They were given seven days to leave the country voluntarily, after which forced deportation would be imposed if they refused to leave.
In September, a Riga court found two men guilty of torturing a swan in Carnikava in the presence of minors.
The court imposed probation supervision for nearly four years and banned them from keeping animals of any kind for four years. According to the report, the defendants agreed to the sentence with the prosecutor.
