|
RIGA - Latvia rejected Wednesday claims Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis
had flouted European Union sanctions against Belarus by hosting its
premier at a secret meeting, saying the EU had known about the talks.
"Our European Union partners were informed about this meeting beforehand," Edgars Vaikulis, a spokesman for Godmanis, told AFP.
Godmanis
has been under fire since his July 11 border meeting with counterpart
Sergei Sidorsky came to light several days ago, thanks to some
investigative reporting by a Latvian television show.
President
Alexander Lukashenko has ruled Belarus since 1994 and is dubbed
"Europe's last dictator" because of regular crackdowns and tough
day-to-day restrictions on the opposition as well as alleged
election-rigging.
Both Latvia and Belarus became independent as
the Soviet Union crumbled in 1991, but the former is now anchored
firmly in the Western camp, having joined the EU and NATO in 2004.
Vaikulis
said the two premiers had discussed energy supply as well as the
transport sector. Latvia's ports, railways and highways are key
conduits for goods being transported through the region.
He said
the meeting was "related to economic ties between the two countries,
and the EU does not object to economic development in its member
states."
Source |
