Latvian Foreign Ministry discusses priorities of Slovenian Presidency with NGOs

On 31 January, under the aegis of the Co-operation Protocol between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NGOs, Under-Secretary of State Ilze Juhansone met with representatives of NGOs and social partners in order to evaluate the results of the Portuguese Presidency, and to brief them about Latvia's priorities during the Slovenian Presidency.

Taking part in the discussion were representatives from the European Movement in Latvia, The House - Youth for United Europe Club, the Centre for Public Policy PROVIDUS, the Employer's Confederation of Latvia and the Children's Forum.

Participants were introduced to a report, which is to be submitted to the Government for review, on the development of sectoral policies during the Portuguese Presidency, and the future course proposed by the Slovenian Presidency. The NGO's were urged to keep track of the priority issues and to contribute to the formulation of Latvia's opinion.

The discussion addressed issues such as the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty, EU communication priorities, climate change and energy, as well as consumer rights protection and EU development co-operation.

During the meeting, participants were introduced to current developments in foreign policy and security policy, with a special focus on Latvia's participation in civilian operations and on the opportunities for NGO involvement in these operations.

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