Alexander Vasilyev, the executive director of the Latvian public association "Baltic Forum", said Wednesday that the refusal of the Latvian authorities to issue visa to Demurin who intended to participate in the conference "Baltics and Russia in the Greater Europe of the Twenty-First Century" is interpreted by conference organizers as continuation of the "diplomatic war" between the two countries that was marked recently by reciprocal expulsion of embassy officials from the countries of residence.
The "Baltic Forum" and the Russian council for the foreign and defense policy are the organizers of the international conference that will take place on May 28-29 in Yurmala. Its aim is to contribute to mutual understanding between Russia and Latvia in the wake of the EU's enlargement.
Vasilyev said that Demurin is in charge of Russo-Latvian relations in the Russian foreign ministry and that is why he was invited to take part in the Yurmala conference.
Vasilyev said that Demurin has a diplomatic passport, that's why the request to issue him an entry visa to Latvia was delivered directly by Russia's foreign ministry to the Latvian foreign ministry.
Vasilyev noted that for the time the "Baltic Forum" has existed, this has been the only occurrence when a participant is denied an entry visa to Latvia.
