This year, Latvia will conclude building a fence on the border with Belarus, and next year on the border with Russia, Latvia’s Prime Minister Evika Siliņa said on Thursday during a press conference on the country’s eastern border.
The Prime Minister said that the security of Latvia’s border is a priority. She thanked the Latvian border guard for their work which, as Siliņa pointed out, every day thwarts as many as hundreds of attempts to illegally cross the border into Latvian territory.
The Latvian government announced that by the end of the year, the permanent barrier on the border with Belarus will be completed. So far, about 80% of the structure has been completed. Siliņa said that the construction of the fence on the border with Russia will be completed in 2024.
On Monday, Latvia closed down Vientuļi and Pededze border crossings on the border with Russia. The decision was dictated by Moscow’s announcement that the small Vientuļi border crossing would be the only land border crossing Ukrainian citizens could use to enter the EU from Russia.
Latvia’s Ministry of Interior said that the Russian decision could create conditions seriously affecting public order and imperil Latvian national security.
In the latter half of September, Latvia closed the border crossing in Silene on the border with Belarus, citing increased migration pressure.
Source : TVP World