On 26 August, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins met with the Canadian Ambassador to Latvia, Scott Heatherington, as part of a series of the Ambassador's accreditation visits.

In the course of the meeting, both parties reviewed international events in the light of the developments in Georgia and in Afghanistan. The issue of the perspectives for the energy policy in the European Union was also discussed. Both officials were unanimous that in the future this issue should be revised and that greater attention should be paid to the diversification of energy supplies.   

Both sides also talked about Latvia-Canada co-operation within the framework of the NATO international mission in Afghanistan. Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins informed about Latvia's contribution to the regeneration of provinces in Afghanistan.

The new Ambassador expressed his readiness to work for the intensification of Latvia-Canada bilateral relations, and emphasized exchange visits, economic and cultural initiatives, as well as co-operation within the EU-Canadian format, with a special focus on the upcoming EU-Canada Summit in Montreal on 17 October.

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