00:00Earlier this week, a group of migrants attempted to cross into Latvia from Belarus using makeshift
00:04stairs to get over the border fence. They were reportedly accompanied by masked individuals
00:09who confronted Latvian armed forces, throwing rocks and pieces of wood at them. One of the
00:14individuals also appeared to display what looked like a pistol from across the border.
00:18Now Latvia's border guards are calling for greater powers to protect themselves and secure
00:22the country's border. Latvia has been experiencing irregular migration for many months and even years,
00:28but this event seems exceptional. So how prepared is Latvian border guard and also national armed
00:36forces that are helping out at the border to deal with such an incident?
00:41Yeah, this is somehow a challenging situation and so according to the regulation, what now is in force
00:49to use lethal weapons only, you know, when life or health are in serious danger and so
00:57we need to minimize this impact against as well this illegal border process. But border guards and with support of
01:11the minister and so we are initiating additional power and I think our government will take this in account and
01:21will decide to give additional power for border guards and for troops.
01:27who are supporting us who are supporting us, I mean police, armed forces and so to use the weapons and
01:35other devices allow use more, I have to say.
01:41How does additional power would look in practical terms? And maybe you can compare it to neighboring countries, maybe there's
01:49something similar in Poland or Lithuania that also shares the border with Belarus.
01:52I think this will be a new initiative. And so if we, we will have it and so it will
01:59be
02:01a bit different from other states, but it means that we not will be obliged to warn before. And so,
02:11and we will be allowed all tools what we have to stop and so
02:18to neutralize to neutralize persons who are damaging our border infrastructure.
02:25When this change might happen?
02:28We prepared this proposal yesterday. And so yesterday it was sent to the Ministry of Interior and
02:37I heard that our minister tomorrow
02:46send this idea further on. And so we will see, I do not know. And so there I think I'm
02:53sure will be parliamentary initiative. And so I can, you know, I do not know how many time will be
03:02needed. Hopefully not much.
03:04What would be ideal time for you? Yesterday or day before yesterday.
03:11178.182.
03:12You
