RIGA, October 30 (RAPSI) – Latvia’s parliament approved, in the first reading, amendments to an immigration law that stipulate the suspension of residence permits for Russian investors, BNS agency reported on Thursday, citing the parliament’s website.

On October 2, the Latvian parliament supported a proposal by the nationalist party National Alliance to suspend the issuance of residence permits to Russian investors to prevent threats to the country. It forwarded the bill to the committees concerned.

On October 21, the parliament’s Committee on Defense, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention approved the proposed amendments.

MP Dzintars Rasnacs (National Alliance) said the amendments were prompted by Russia’s policy towards Ukraine, which he described as aggressive.

The authors of the bill pointed out that Russian citizens who had been issued residence permits carried considerable economic weight and could influence Latvia’s а policy and social programs, as well as the media.

The National Alliance party previously proposed that the government be allowed to suspend the issuance of residence permits if it threatened the country.

These amendments will be discussed in three readings.