Member-only story
Latvia asks Belarus be dropped from hosting joint World Hockey Championship
Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš said on August 17 that after recent events in Belarus, he sees no possibility for Latvia to hold next year’s World Ice Hockey Championship jointly in the Latvian capital Riga and Belarus’ capital Minsk.
Following an emergency meeting of the Latvian government to discuss developments in Belarus, which shares a 172 kilometer border with the NATO and European Union (EU) member, Karins called for talks with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) about moving the championship elsewhere.
He indicated Latvia would be willing to host the games together with any other country in the IIHF other than Belarus. However, if Belarus is not dropped from hosting the World Championship by the IIHF “and if the situation in Belarus does not change, the government could consider Latvia’s withdrawal from organizing the 2021 championship,” Kariņš said.
Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs in a slightly more conciliatory tone said that the World Championship could be held as planned “if there was a political turnabout” in Belarus
It had been planned to have championship games played in Riga and Minsk in May 2021. Both countries have invested resources in preparing sites and facilities for the games. Latvia last hosted a…
