Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš has claimed he cannot see how Latvia can co-host the event with Belarus in the current climate following widespread protests and violence after Alexander Lukashenko's controversial re-election as President.

According to Latvia's main news agency LETA, Kariņš revealed the country would begin negotiations with the IIHF regarding staging the competition with another country instead of Belarus.

"If the Federation refuses and the situation in Belarus still does not change, the Government may decide that Latvia will not participate in organising the 2021 World Cup," Kariņš was quoted as saying by LETA following an extraordinary Government meeting today.

IIHF President René Fasel has insisted the governing body will press ahead with plans to hold the 2021 Men's World Championship – the flagship international ice hockey tournament outside of the Winter Olympic Games – in Belarus and Latvia.

Fasel also said there had not been any discussions over moving to other venues and no approaches from other nations willing to host.

Belarus is due to stage matches in 2021 at Minsk Arena, alongside co-hosts Latvia, which plans to use Arena Riga.

Both semi-finals and the medal matches are planned for Minsk.

Protests in Belarus have continued since the disputed August 9 election, where Lukashenko, who has ruled the country since 1994, supposedly won with 80 per cent of the vote.

The European Union is among those to have condemned the election, stating it was "neither free nor fair".

An opposition rally was held in Minsk yesterday, which was reportedly the "largest in the history of independent Belarus".

Protesters have clashed with police and more than 6,700 have been arrested, with some claiming they have been tortured at the hands of the security services.

Belarus has been described as "Europe's last dictatorship" because of Lukashenko's lengthy spell in power.