Minsk won't mirror Riga's ban on entry of cars with Belarusian license plates - Belarusian Foreign Ministry

MINSK. July 15 (Interfax) - Belarus will not take symmetric measures in retaliation for Latvia's entry ban for cars registered in Belarus, Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anatoly Glaz said.

"I'd like to note that the Belarusian side is not planning any symmetric measures against citizens of Latvia. On the contrary, we are open to and interested in promoting contacts with our neighbors, including as part of the existing procedures that allow Latvians to visit our country without visas," Glaz said on Monday in a commentary published on the ministry's website.

Such a decision of the Latvian authorities "delivers a blow to ordinary people," he said.

"It is totally clear mixed families, citizens of the two countries who travel to visit their relatives, tourists with children, travelers, etc. will suffer first of all," he said.

Earlier on Monday, the Latvian State Revenue Service said that "individuals with passenger cars registered in the Republic of Belarus are banned from entering the European Union via the Latvia-Belarus and Latvia-Russia checkpoints from 12:01 a.m. on July 16." This measure is designed to "reduce the risks of circumvention of sanctions being circumvented," the service said.