The ban on entry of Latvia for three Russian artists who especially aggressively defended the annexation of Crimea will impact the New Wave contest and will serve as a signal to Russia that Latvia will not allow events in this country to be used in Moscow’s information war, says Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs.

Rinkēvičs has decided to add the following Russian artists to the ‘black list’: Oleg Gazmanov, Joseph Kobzon and Alla Perfilova (stage name Valeria). They will be temporarily forbidden to enter Latvia.

With their actions, the aforementioned individuals have contributed to the breach of territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. Latvian Foreign Minister’s decision is based on part two of Section 61 of the Immigration Law, as BNN was told in Foreign Ministry.

Authorities are busy compiling the necessary information. This Monday, Foreign Ministry will announce the additions to the ‘black list’ – the ban on entry may be imposed on three or four people of Russia’s cultural sector and who have been aggressively defending the annexation of Crimea since March 2014, as Rinkēvičs said in his interview to Latvijas Radio.

The minister noted that people cannot be prohibited to express their opinion, but if some people are unable to differentiate between propaganda and cultural and artistic freedom, such people are unwelcome in Latvia, at least temporarily. If any of these individuals are currently in Latvia, they will be given time to leave the country.

The expansion of the black list will also serve as a signal to Russia that Latvia will not become a place in the EU that can be used for information war, says the minister.

‘The most active propaganda agents, no other word to describe them, will be restricted entry to Latvia. […] Their names are quite recognizable,’ – said the minister in his interview to Rīta Panorāma programme of LTV.

He also explained that cultural events are not politics, but added nonetheless that propaganda may be voiced during these events. The minister assures Latvia will not allow this. Rinkēvičs said the current ‘black list’ is not finished, but it is not like ‘expanding it is all I want do to right now’. The Foreign Minister added that all cases will be carefully investigated.

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