EU Reflection Group's future activities discussed at Foreign Policy Council chaired by Foreign Minister

A meeting of the Foreign Policy Council, chaired by Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins, will take place on 1 April, where foreign policy experts will consider current events in international politics, among other topics, the work of the EU Reflection Group, NATO summit in Bucharest, and the recent developments in Tibet.

A key issue at this sitting of the Foreign Policy Council will be the intended activities of the EU Reflection Group and Latvia's possible involvement in assessing the future prospects for the EU. The Deputy Chairperson of the Reflection Group, former President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga, will take part in the meeting as an honorary guest and will reveal the group's current plans and ideas for the future.   

The council will also touch upon the NATO Summit Meeting of Heads of State and Government in Bucharest taking place from 2 to 4 April, and the expected decisions in relation to Euro-Atlantic enlargement, as well as NATO member state opinions on offering a Membership Action Plan (MAP) to Ukraine and to Georgia.   

As regards the recent events in Tibet, council members plan to share their thoughts on the concern voiced by the international community about the violence in Tibet, and also about the coverage of these events in the media. 

The members of the Foreign Policy Council are: Chairman of the Board of Directors of LATO Toms Baumanis, Director of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies Ilze Brands-Kehre, political scientist Karlis Dauksts, ex-diplomat Armands Gutmanis, sociologist Arnis Kaktins, Director of the Latvian Institute Ojars Kalnins, President of Ekonomistu apvieniba 2010 (Association of Economists 2010) Ojars Kehris, Head of the Cabinet of the European Union Energy Commissioner Andris Kesteris, Director of the Institute of International Affairs Atis Lejins, Director of the Advanced Social and Political Research Institute of the University of Latvia Nils Muiznieks, Chairperson of the Strategic Analysis Commission, Professor Zaneta Ozolina, President of UPB Holdings Uldis Pilens, journalist Pauls Raudseps, political scientist Toms Rostoks, and Director of the Creative Economy Institute Peteris Vinkelis.

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