Latvia halts bus services to Belarus

Latvia has called for the gradual closure of regular bus routes to Belarus. After the licenses expire, the routes 'Riga–Vitebsk', followed by 'Riga–Minsk' and 'Riga–Gomel', will be discontinued. This decision was made due to concerns over current cases of Latvian citizens crossing the border on a daily basis—for family visits, shopping, and medical treatment. According to data, nearly 400,000 Latvians traveled to Belarus in 2022. The Latvian authorities believe that imposing restrictions on their side of the border will encourage citizens to address domestic issues.

It was noted that air and rail connections in this region have already been limited for several years.