Latvian parliamentarians have been banned from traveling to Russia and Belarus.

The Latvian Saeima (Parliament) has passed, in its final reading, amendments to the law prohibiting city and regional council members from visiting Russia and Belarus.

This was reported by the Delfi publication.

Such restrictions had previously been in place for members of the Latvian parliament, as well as certain categories of officials and employees. Now, the ban has been extended to local government representatives.

The bill’s authors cited national security considerations for the decision. They argued that local deputies have access to important information, particularly regarding critical infrastructure, civil defense plans, and transportation and logistics hubs.

The initiators believe that the new rules should ensure a uniform approach to all officials, regardless of their level of authority.