Latvia will not change its visa procedures for citizens of Uzbekistan despite recent calls from the country’s Interior Ministry to temporarily suspend visa applications from Uzbek nationals.

Uzbek Foreign Ministry spokesperson Omonulla Fayziev said the current procedure for issuing Latvian visas to Uzbek citizens would remain in place, according to upl.uz.

Earlier, Latvian Interior Minister Janis Dombrova proposed temporarily suspending the acceptance of visa applications from Uzbek citizens. Latvian authorities cited several offenses involving individual migrants, including crimes against minors and a widely reported case involving the mistreatment of a swan in the city of Carnikava.

Following the proposal, the Uzbek Embassy in Riga and the Foreign Ministry’s Department of Consular and Legal Affairs held a series of talks with Latvia’s prime minister’s office, the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Economics, the Presidential Administration and the Latvian Embassy in Tashkent.

During the meetings, Uzbekistan highlighted concerns that potential visa restrictions could negatively affect bilateral political, trade and migration ties.

Latvian authorities subsequently officially confirmed that no restrictions were necessary and that the existing visa procedures would remain unchanged.

At the same time, two Uzbek citizens identified as A.A. and B.Sh. in the swan-mistreatment case had their residence permits revoked and were ordered to leave Latvia within seven days, with forced deportation possible if they failed to comply.

Uzbekistan’s Foreign Ministry urged its citizens living abroad to strictly follow the laws of their host countries.

“Offenses committed by individuals can negatively affect not only themselves, but also other citizens of our country who legally study, work, travel or reside abroad,” the ministry said.