Foreign Ministry State Secretary and Ambassador talk about Latvia-New Zealand co-operation

Foreign Ministry State Secretary Normans Penke, on 7 April, met with the Ambassador of New Zealand, Philip Wallace Griffiths, who was on his farewell visit.

Both sides noted with satisfaction the successful bilateral co-operation implemented by Latvia and New Zealand and agreed to continue it in the future.

The State Secretary stated that Latvia wishes to continue the ongoing political dialogue with New Zealand, as well as expressed Latvia's readiness to host a visit to Riga by New Zealand representatives and to hold political consultations.  

The officials touched upon previous collaboration within international organisations and conveyed their readiness to continue working together in the area of defence for the reason that both Latvia and New Zealand are taking part in NATO missions in Afghanistan.

As part of his farewell visit, Mr Philip Wallace Griffiths on 7 April met with President Valdis Zatlers, the Deputy Speaker of the Saeima Vineta Muizniece, and the Under-Secretary of State of the Ministry of Economics, Zaiga Liepina.   

On 8 April the Ambassador is expected to meet with Minister of Agriculture Martins Roze and Erika Zommere, the Chairperson of the Saeima group for co-operation between the parliaments of Australia and New Zealand.

The New Zealand Ambassador resides in Warsaw, Poland.

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