Latvia Bans Belarus-Registered Cars in New EU Sanctions

Latvia has prohibited Belarus-registered passenger cars from entering its territory, effective Tuesday. This move aligns with an updated EU sanctions package, which now imposes similar restrictions on Belarus as those on Russia. Bordering EU countries and Norway previously banned vehicles with Russian plates due to the Ukraine war.

Latvia will no longer allow Belarus-registered passenger cars to enter its territory from Belarus or Russia, according to an announcement made by a government agency on Monday.

The prohibition, effective Tuesday, aligns with a new package of EU sanctions. This updated package largely adjusts the sanctions against Belarus to match those imposed on Russia, as stated by Latvia's State Revenue Service.

Last year, EU member states bordering Russia, including Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Finland, along with non-EU country Norway, blocked vehicles with Russian number plates as part of the sanctions tied to the war in Ukraine.

(With inputs from agencies.)