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Moscow says Latvian move to ban Russian language 'discriminatory'
Russia on Friday (August 26) slammed as "discriminatory" Latvia's initiative to ban the Russian language at workplaces, saying the former member of the Soviet Union turned humiliation of ethnic minorities into a state policy, according to the Anadolu Agency.
In a statement, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said a draft law, that is being prepared in this connection, contradicts international rules.
"Such absurd, discriminatory initiatives, affecting the interests of almost half of the population of Latvia and going against numerous recommendations of relevant international structures, have long been a shameful practice," she said.
"In this Baltic country, linguistic genocide and humiliation of ethnic minorities, whose representatives are considered second-class people by Latvian authorities, have been elevated to the rank of state policy."
Zakharova added: "Unfortunately, the European 'democratic' structures are shamefully silent."
Russian has a status of a foreign language in the Baltic country, which shares a border with Russia. About 40% of Latvia's 1.9 million people are Russian-speaking.
Latvia is a member of both EU and NATO, and has condemned Russia's war on Ukraine, which began in February.
On Tuesday (August 23), construction workers in Latvia removed several giant bronze statues from the monument, which was surrounded by a protective screen and blocked off by police.
Latvia begins dismantling Soviet victory monument
The monument which was completed in 1985 is seen by most Latvians not as a symbol of victory over Hitler, but of the renewed occupation of their country by the Soviet Union.
Latvia was alternately occupied by Germany and the Soviet Union during World War II. After the war ended, the Baltic state was an unwilling part of the Soviet Union until 1991.
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