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Relations Cool Between Riga and Minsk

In a further sign that the split between some former Soviet republics is widening, Latvia apparently gave a Belarussian diplomat 24 hours to leave the country after declaring him "persona non grata". Riga said that the First Secretary of the Embassy of Belarus is being kicked out for actions "incompatible with the status of diplomat." The incident that sparked the recent cooling in relations between Latvia and Minsk began after Belarussian state television aired footage of apparent gay sex.

Belarussian TV claimed an unnamed Latvian diplomat was involved. Riga reacted immediately to the incident, saying the deliberate choice to besmirch a Latvian government official was "a serious provocation". Since leaving the orbit of Moscow in 1991, Riga has engaged in reforms and has even become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Minsk, meanwhile, has melded its foreign policy goals with that of Russia, and Moscow and Belarus appear to be desirous of even closer relations - maybe even a union. A week prior to the airing of the footage in Belarus, it has been reported that Belarussian police raided a Latvian diplomat`s home, where it is said that the video in question was possibly found.

State television said Minsk police found pornographic materials while searching the private residence. While no further detail was provided, Latvia denies any illicit footage was found, and says the videos merely contained recordings of Belarus TV news bulletins. Latvian Foreign Minister Artis Pabriks told reporters the raid and video was an "unprecedented attack" on the diplomat, and was intended to humiliate him. "It is in breach of the Vienna Convention, because it was a violation of the private space of our diplomat."