Harmony not to participate in Saeima vote on statement labeling Russia a state supporting terrorism

• Published date: 03 August 2022
• Publication title: LETA

RIGA, Aug 3 (LETA) - Harmony "condemns Russia's invasion of Ukraine", but "due to several circumstances" it considers a statement labeling Russia a state supporting terrorism "provocative", therefore Harmony will not participate in Saeima's vote on the statement, the party informed LETA.

Russia's "missile attacks on civilian facilities, atrocities committed against peaceful residents are war crimes, for which those who give orders, those who carry them out as well as those who justify these crimes must be held accountable", said Harmony, emphasizing that there was no justification for war.

However, the party claims that the document has been prepared under the supervision of Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rihards Kols (National Alliance). "We believe that the circumstances of the war require a particularly responsible assessment of every political decision, including this statement, which is to be adopted at the next Saeima meeting. Does it have rational goals? Does it not expand the conflict zone, thus increasing tension, which is essentially in the interests of the aggressor?"

Harmony believes that some politicians, while expressing solidarity with the Ukrainian people, are trying to use the war as an opportunity to improve their ratings.

"Radical statements that do not offer any proposals for real action also serve as a distraction at a time residents are becoming increasingly indignant about the government's inaction, about the confusing and contradictory communication of the economics minister, a member of the National Alliance, regarding the energy crisis," said Harmony.

Latvia is still dependent on Russian energy resources, and Latvian society may have to pay very dearly for this in the upcoming heating season, said Harmony.

Harmony was for a long time a cooperation partner of the United Russia party in Russia.

s reported, Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday endorsed an official statement labeling Russia's violence against civilians in Ukraine and other countries as terrorism and Russia as a state supporting terrorism.

Kols told LETA that the statement "On Russia's Targeted Military Attacks on Ukrainian Civilians and Public Buildings" urges other like-minded countries to also label Russia a state that supports terrorism.

Kols said at the Foreign Affairs Committee meeting today that the committee would ask Saeima to review the statement at its next meeting. MP Atis Lejins (New Unity) said that Saeima could convene for an extraordinary...