Refusing to admit refugees would be like refusing to pay a bill, said the Head of the European Commission Representation in Latvia, Inna Steinbuka, said in an interview with BNS on August 1. She said that Latvia would be ignoring the solidarity principle if it refused to admit refugees, LSM reports.

Latvia's incoming ambassador to NATO said Thursday that the country needs to do more to prepare itself to repel possible Russian aggression, LSM reports.

«More and more people predict Solvita Aboltina’s plans to become the next Prime Minster of Latvia in autumn 2015. On top of that, rumours state talks about it have already begun on the backstage. If it is true, it is likely the new government will no longer depend on the current coalition. Instead it will start looking for a new one,» – predicts politology professor and former deputy of 10th and 11th Saeima Rasma Karklina.

According to Governor of the Bank of Latvia Ilmars Rimsevics, the Greek people have basically voted themselves out of Eurozone, which could benefit from this in the long run, as reported by lsm.lv.

«Russia has always tried influencing decision-making processes. We may be able to feel from time to time how information space is prepared for one or the other decision. However, during my time in the post of Environmental Minister, I’ve never felt anything like that. This is because there are no major projects realized in Latvia that could potentially change matters of energy independence,» – notes Latvia’s newly-elected President Raimonds Vejonis.

«Never before in the vast history of the world have we seen the involvement of so many people and so many opinions in the development of a single development document. We have a lot to do – we want to completely eradicate poverty, provide environmental longevity, create an inclusive global economy, establish gender equality and provide education opportunities for all – these are but some of the 17 sustainable development goals,» – said Latvian Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma.

Should President Putin ever lose power in Russia, even worse times could come about, admits Latvian Defence Ministry’s advisor, former head of Constitution Protection Bureau Janis Kazocins.

Parameters of the «right president» have no actual match. The statement «so that people would not be ashamed» is nothing short of masochistic. The search for the kind of showman «that knows how to look good and knows foreign languages» are simply too naïve, notes journalist Janis Domburs in regard to the qualities a President should ideally have.

This Wednesday Latvian Green Party announced Defence Minister Raimonds Vejonis as its official presidential candidate. The Union of Greens and Farmers will likely accept Vejonis as well. It seems he has the best chances of becoming the leading presidential candidate from the ruling coalition as well. However, Aivars Lembergs is not the kind to forgive and forget.

LSM - Former chairman of the US Federal Reserve Paul Volcker, now a co-investor along with the Ripplewood Group in the Citadele Bank, shared his views of the world economy and the Baltic states’ place as “part of the European heartland” in an interview Tuesday with LTV news reporter Kārlis Roķis.