15:10 Latvia seeks compensation from Belarus

The government of Latvia said it wants to file an international summons against Belarus over the contamination of River Daugava by a diesel leak in Belarus.  On March 23 due to an accident on the Unecha-Ventspils pipeline in the northern Belarus, around 100 tons of petrochemical products were leaked and into the local River Ula, which further joins Zakhodiaja Dzvina (Daugava in Latvia).

The oil slick reached Latvia several days after. The Latvian media reported that about 2 tons of diesel leaked into the river and that more slicks were coming in from Belarus.

Latvia seeks compensation from this country for the losses associated with the environmental protection activities due to the accident, reports novonews.lv.

Meanwhile, the authorities in Belarus have accused the pipeline owner, the Russian company Zapad-Transnefteprofukt, of causing damage to the environment.