In a statement to the Sri Lanka Guardian, the Russian Embassy in Colombo has criticized the Latvian justifications for blocking the fertilizer shipment to Sri Lanka.
by Our Diplomatic Affairs Editor
The Russian Embassy in Colombo has issued a strong critique of a recent statement from the Latvian Embassy in New Delhi, which was exclusively published by the Sri Lanka Guardian and headlined, “Latvia Set to Expedite Release of Russian Fertilizer Shipment to Sri Lanka.” The Latvian statement, which aimed to address the prolonged blockage of a Russian potash shipment in the port of Riga, has been met with sharp criticism from the Russian side.
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| File photo of Riga port |
In its response, the Russian Embassy accused the Latvian diplomatic mission of presenting “clumsy attempts” to justify the blockade and labeled the Latvian arguments as misleading. The embassy argued that the delays in dispatching the fertilizers are indicative of Latvia’s constrained sovereignty, with significant foreign policy decisions being made outside of Riga.
The Russian Embassy’s statement reads:
“On the reaction of Latvian Embassy in India to the situation with the blockage of Russian potash for Sri Lanka in the port of Riga: The Russian Embassy in Colombo paid attention to a clumsy attempt by the Latvian diplomatic mission in New Delhi to justify its country decisions which impede the consignment of Russian potash to Sri Lanka blocked in Riga since March 2022. The doubtful ‘arguments’ set in their comment should not mislead anyone. Such long and unfounded delays with the fertilizers’ dispatch is another vivid confirmation that Latvia, just like other Baltic states, have quite a restricted sovereignty. All significant foreign policy issues are sorted out not in Riga, but in other capitals.
Still Latvia desperately tries to declare its importance, but in reality becomes a leader in elaborating measures putting at risk global food stability. Thus, Riga has repeatedly (October, December 2023 and January 2024) put forward a suggestion to fully block access of Russian agricultural products to the European market following-up the EU senseless sanction policy. However, the authors of such initiatives omit (or intentionally do not reveal) that these measures are detrimental to the global food security since they lead to the price rise of European export agriproducts to the third countries. The situation is also complicated by the fact that the fertilizers production in Europe is steadily falling down (up to 30% since 2021). As a result, their possible recipients in Africa, Asia and countries from other regions dependent on these critical items find themselves in a vulnerable position. Hypocrisy based on inferiority complex as it is.”
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