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Riga on the Baltic Sea.

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In this port, 3000 ships are loaded
and unloaded every year.

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This cargo to and from everywhere,
including goods transported to

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Russia, such as manganese ore from
Africa. 1.4 million tonnes went

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there last year.

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Exports have been rising
since Russia's full scale

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invasion of Ukraine.

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Approximately 80% of our 
inhabitants would support sanctioning.

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Manganese or on the national level.

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To do that we have a tool,
a very democratic one, in Latvia,

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where we can gather signatures 
of at least 10,000 residents in Latvia

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and then this initiative would
be submitted to the parliament and

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they would have to look into it.

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Manganese is used for steel and
weapons production in Russia.

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It strengthens the products and for now, 
transporting the metal via the EU Is legal.

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Being aware that this work
can be used for military purposes,

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for producing artillery or 
armour that can be turned against

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our people and our democracies,
it's just like unthinkable.

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It's absolutely scandalous.

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Thousands of 
Latvians work in the port.

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Riga is benefiting from
trade with Russia.

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That's why Transparency International
doubts the Latvian government

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will restrict manganese trade.

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We have one oligarch lessers sitting
in the parliament and

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even a couple of weeks ago also with
this manganese or topic,

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he was telling in the parliament
that we should keep

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economical cooperation with Russia,
otherwise our economy will collapse.

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But that's not true.

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But that doesn't seem to be true,
concludes a study by

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the Latvian Central Bank.

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It says,

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that Latvia's GDP would see
only a slight decline if it ended

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trade with Russia.

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However, Latvia's ports 
would suffer if trade were restricted.

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That's what happened after Russia
annexed Crimea in 2014 and

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the government reduced 
trade with Russia by 60%.

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We are following the 
World Trade Organization rules,

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European Commission 
rules and all the sanctions.

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And in this case,
all this is in full compliant.

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Meanwhile, there's a 
debate in the media about

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whether sanctions on 
Russia need to be tightened.

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Tax and trade expert Janis Taukacs
is part of the discussion.

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This manganese ore is just
one example that.

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The trade with
Russia should be stopped.

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If we don't want the war to be in
our home, and this is the cheapest

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way currently to stop the war.

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But unilateral action to restrict
the manganese or trade to Russia

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is unlikely.

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The Latvian government is calling
for a European solution coordinated

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with the German government 
and other EU countries.

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I think we have to admit
that the most efficient way would

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be to include manganese or in
the EU sanctions list.

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Why?

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Because we have experienced
quite a number of situations

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when Russia tries to put EU member
countries against each other.

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If Brussels banned the transportation
of manganese or to Russia,

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the Kremlin would have to find
alternative routes elsewhere

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that would cost time and money.