Mikhail Demurin, second in charge of the Foreign Ministry 2nd European department, cannot take part in an international conference he has been asked to. Political experts are gathering in Riga to take stock of Russian-Latvian relations in the European Union enlargement context.
"The move is blatantly unfriendly and highly regrettable. It will bring bilateral problems in its wake, for which Latvia will be fully responsible. Russia will make relevant conclusions," warns the Foreign Ministry.
The Latvian top is deliberately heading for ever worse tensions. That is evident in its latest statements and practical action. Latvian rulers unblushingly call the European Union and NATO to act tough on Russia. Latvia is stepping up administrative and police reprisals against a democratic movement for ethnic Russians' rights.
As those policies show, Latvia's top has misunderstood its recent admission to the EU and NATO. The regime is unwilling to proceed from the principles of progressing EU and NATO partnership with Russia.
True, reassurances are coming from the Latvian top of its goodwill to improve relations with Russia-but these are sheer declarations, and no longer mislead anyone, says the ministry.
