Latvia-India foreign ministry political consultations held

On 5 May political consultations were held between the Latvian Foreign Ministry and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. From the Latvian side, the consultations were led by Foreign Ministry State Secretary Normans Penke and from the Indian side, by Secretary Nalin Surie.  

Bilateral relations were the focus of the consultations, and in particular, the strengthening of economic co-operation and broadening of the legal framework. In addition, the officials discussed collaboration in international organisations, current issues in regional and international security policy from the perspectives of the regions of both countries and the EU-India dialogue.

A meeting with representatives of the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry took place, with talks on the advancement of economic co-operation, and possible co-operation in the areas of transport, logistics, information technology, pharmacy, and finance. Potential Indian investment in the Baltic Sea Region and a planned visit by Latvian businessmen to India was also discussed. 

In order to strengthen cultural ties between Latvia and India, the Latvian delegation visited the National Museum of India in New Delhi and met with its administration.

On 6 May the delegation visited the National Defence Academy in Pune.

On 7 May meetings were held with Shri V. Ranganath, the Traffic Manager of the Mumbai Port Trust, and Shri Shahzad S. Hussain, the Chairman of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, with prospects for co-operation between Latvian and Indian ports on the agenda.

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