We ourselves in Latvia have rid ourselves of many ghosts of the Soviet occupation...

Two weeks before the elections, deputies are eager to compete in their desire to prohibit and restrict everything, even if it severely impacts their own economy. Today, the parliament is considering two bills related to the transit of Russian grain. One - amendments to the Railway Law - was submitted by the government and provides for the introduction of a 300% tariff for the use of Latvian infrastructure for transporting Russian grain. The second - amendments to the law 'On Agricultural Products and Rural Development' - proposes a complete ban on the transit of any agricultural products from Russia and Belarus, including, of course, the transit of grain, which deputies today referred to from the podium as 'bloody.' Meanwhile, the first bill is being reviewed by the budget commission, while the second is being considered by the economic commission. Let us dare to assume that in the end, the Saeima will support the first bill, which has been pre-approved by the ruling coalition. Moreover, the parliamentary commission will review the bill in the next half hour, urging the Saeima to grant it urgent status and adopt it in the final reading today! It is obvious that the introduction of an astronomical tariff will lead to the cessation of the transit of Russian grain through Latvia. It cannot be ruled out that in this case, the cargo will go through the ports of Lithuania and Estonia, which have not yet introduced such tariffs. The discussion of these two bills in the Saeima was accompanied by heated speeches. Here are just two excerpts from the introduction of supporters of the embargo on the transit of Russian grain. 'As a country, we have done a lot over the past four years to strengthen Latvia's independence from aggressor states — both Belarus and Russia. We have become energy independent, we have been the most active supporters of Ukraine, and we have lobbied the most for sanctions against Belarus and Russia. We ourselves in Latvia have rid ourselves of many ghosts of the Soviet occupation, eliminating this disgrace — the pillar of occupation — transitioning to education in the state language, closing Kremlin propaganda media, and significantly strengthening our laws against those who still harm Latvia and Latvia's independence.' 'Our own economic security is now being threatened by Russia in this way. The aggressor uses every opportunity and deliberately overloads our infrastructure. A significant portion of warehouses is reserved for the cargo of the aggressor country, and our own farmers are facing difficulties in exporting their products. We must not allow a situation where our farmers suffer while someone profits from Russian grain.'