Latvian Justice Minister Suggests Relocating DW Moscow Bureau To Riga

RIGA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th February, 2022) Latvian Minister of Justice Janis Bordans offered on Friday to move the Moscow bureau of German state media Deutsche Welle (DW) to Riga if Russia upholds its decision to shut down the office.

"If Russia does not revoke the ban on DW's Moscow bureau, I encourage Germany to consider relocating it to Riga," Bordans said at a briefing.

Later in the day, he reaffirmed his suggestion, saying on Twitter that indeed there is the need to "strengthen democracy in the region."

On Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Moscow would close the DW bureau, annul the accreditation of its employees, and terminate DW satellite and other broadcasts in response to the RT DE ban in Germany.

Meanwhile, the ministry's official told Sputnik that if Germany revisits its position on RT DE, Moscow will respond in kind. The source also noted that during the visit of German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock to Moscow last week, solutions to the RT DE dispute were proposed, but Berlin refused to discuss them.

On Wednesday, German media regulator MABB officially banned broadcasts by RT DE in Germany, claiming that the organizers did not have the necessary permission. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that it will begin to take retaliatory measures against German media accredited in Russia, with RT saying it will appeal the MABB decision in court.