Foreign Ministry official participates in 5th EU-LAC Summit of Heads of State and Government

From 15 to 16 May, as a member of the delegation of the Latvian President, the Foreign Ministry Under-Secretary of State Edgars Skuja is taking part in the 5^th EU, Latin America, and the Caribbean (LAC) Summit of Heads of State and Government in Lima, Peru. Mr Skuja will participate in a meeting at the level of foreign ministers, where the representatives of EU and LAC states will debate co-operation as part of an interregional dialogue on migration, combating drug trade, and regional integration. It is anticipated that a declaration will be adopted, where EU and LAC states are to acknowledge co-operation in key areas of bi-regional action: promotion of social cohesion and also the environment, climate change, and energy.     

During the Summit, Mr Skuja and Christopher Sinckler, the Barbadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and International Business, signed a joint communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations between Latvia and Barbados. The Minister expressed interest in starting up co-operation with Latvia, noting that Barbados is a popular tourist destination in the Caribbean. 

The Under-Secretary of State also met with Pedro Vaz Ramela, the Deputy Secretary of the Foreign Minister of Uruguay, with the aim of discussing the development of bilateral relations. Uruguay takes an active part in international peace-keeping missions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Georgia, and a number of African states.

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