Baltic state passes Russian gas law

The Latvian parliament has approved amendments to its energy law that will ban Russian natural gas imports starting January 1, 2023.

According to a report by the news portal Delfi on Thursday, a regulation was also approved that will govern agreements with other EU countries about how the ban will be enforced.

The Baltic EU members Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania have stopped importing Russian gas as part of an effort to cut energy dependence on Moscow amid Western sanctions. They have also rejected Russia’s demand for natural gas payment in rubles.

Last month, Latvia’s Prime Minister Arturs Krisjanis Karins said in an interview with the newspaper El Pais that the country was not going to resume Russian gas imports despite all the difficulties. He specified that 90% of the gas his country imported came from Russia.

Meanwhile, gas tariffs in Latvia have been soaring. Depending on consumption, gas bills for households have jumped between 65.6% and 89.9% since the beginning of July.

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