Business, Latvia, Markets and Companies, Security

Duklavs chaired the meeting today because Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis is on a vacation at the moment.

But the politicians would not give the names of any companies that might be affected by the new legislation. Edvards Smiltens, the deputy board chairman of the ruling Unity party, said that the law was being written to create a universal regulation without any particular companies in mind.

The Latvian parliament sent to the committees for review the draft legislative amendments proposed by the national security committee. Under the draft amendments to the National Security Law, the government will have the right to instruct the shareholders with significant participation in a company important for national security to sell their holdings in the company. Also, anyone willing to acquire significant influence in any such company will need to obtain the government's approval.

The bill lists the criteria for determining whether an enterprise is a company important for national security. For now it seems that major broadcasters, natural gas transmission and storage companies and electricity or heat energy producers will fall into this category.