The Latvian Foreign Ministry has confirmed it has not received security-related information prompting the closure of visa centers in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, according to press secretary Liga Jermacane. The ministry relies on VF Worldwide Holdings for visa application processing in the two countries, unlike Lithuania, which is shuttering similar centers over security concerns.
The Latvian Foreign Ministry has stated it has not received information from security agencies warranting the closure of visa centers in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, according to press secretary Liga Jermacane. The ministry’s response came as Lithuania announced the closure of its visa centers in multiple Central Asian and Balkan nations, citing security risks. Latvia’s visa application process in the two countries is managed by VF Worldwide Holdings under a 2015 agreement, with applications forwarded to Latvian embassies for review.
Latvian Ministry Clarifies Visa Center Status
Jermacane emphasized that Latvia’s decision to maintain visa centers in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan hinges on the absence of verified security threats. The ministry would make an appropriate decision if such information were received,
she said. The current arrangement, established through a 2015 agreement with VF Worldwide, allows the company to handle visa applications before forwarding them to Latvian embassies for final processing. This contrasts with Lithuania’s approach, where security concerns have led to the suspension of similar operations.
Lithuania’s Security-Driven Closures
Lithuania’s Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas justified the closures as necessary to mitigate potential terrorist risks,
citing warnings from the State Security Department. The minister highlighted that visa centers in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Bosnia and Herzegovina act as intermediaries, handling applications for residence permits and initiating migration procedures. When the State Security Department warns of potential terrorism risks and has already identified individuals from Central Asia with radical views or links to terrorism, the state cannot wait for a risk to become an incident,
Katelynas stated.
“When the State Security Department warns of potential terrorism risks and has already identified individuals from Central Asia with radical views or links to terrorism, the state cannot wait for a risk to become an incident,” the minister said.
Martynas Katelynas, Lithuanian Interior Minister
No further details on Latvia’s future actions were provided in the ministry’s statement.
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