RIGA. May 13 (Interfax/BNS) - Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis has refused to confirm whether Latvia will give asylum to Maxim Bakiyev, son of toppled Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev.
When asked by a journalist on Wednesday, the prime minister simply said the Latvian Cabinet is not authorized to grant or deny asylum to anyone. He also noted that the matter had not been raised at a Cabinet meeting.
Latvian police are searching for Maxim Bakiyev, who has recently been in the country at the invitation of Latvian businessman Valeri Belokon. Bakiyev is on the Interpol wanted list and is wanted in his home country of Kyrgyzstan for a fraud charge.
Kyrgyzstan is seeking the extradition of the ex-president's son in what Latvian Interior Minister Linda Murniece has said is a political issue and is sure to be eventually discussed by the Cabinet.