Latvia has achieved progress in reducing visa denial rate to Canada

On 5-6 March 2007, the Director of the Foreign Ministry Second Bilateral Relations Department, Signe Jansone, visited Canada to meet with the representatives from the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and the Immigration and Citizenship Department.

Canada concluded that Latvia has achieved significant progress in the fulfilment of conditions required for the implementation of a visa-free regime (last year the visa refusal rate fell by 3 per cent). A delegation of experts from the Canadian Citizenship and Immigration Department is scheduled to visit Latvia in the spring of this year to draw up its annual report, for the Government of Canada, on Latvia's progress.

Canada also welcomed Latvia's decision to increase the number of troops in Afghanistan. Discussions at the meetings covered latest developments in bilateral relations between Latvia and Canada, co-operation in international organizations, Latvia's membership of the OECD, the situation in Europe's neighbouring countries, the Middle East and Afghanistan. The parties also exchanged opinions on the current situation in the Latin American and Central American countries.

(end of text)