Foreign Ministers of Latvia and Sweden stress significance of creating common Baltic energy market [05 Feb 2009]

On 5 February, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins met with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Carl Bildt, who was on a working visit to Latvia.

During their meeting, Ministers Riekstins and Bildt noted the co-operation between Latvia and Sweden under the conditions of the financial crisis, facing the resultant economic challenges. In discussion on internal political processes in Latvia, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins also expressed appreciation of Sweden's solidarity with Latvia in the stabilisation of the economic situation in Latvia.

The Ministers exchanged opinions on the regional co-operation between Latvia and Sweden within different formats, and also the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, which Sweden has advanced as a priority for its EU Presidency in  the second half of this year.

The Foreign Ministers of Latvia and Sweden reviewed energy policy and energy security issues within the EU, in the context of the establishment of a Baltic energy market as a precondition for the development of power interconnection projects.

The ministers discussed the EU Eastern Partnership initiative, making note also of individual co-operation with each of the eastern neighbouring countries, and the EU Troika meeting with officials from Ukraine in Prague, which also took place on 5 February.

With regard to current international development, Ministers Riekstins and Bildt reviewed the situation in the Middle East. Mr Bildt briefed about his visit to the Middle East, where he had visited the war-torn Gaza strip and local hospitals, and also met with staff of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees and with entrepreneurs. Minister Riekstins drew attention to his upcoming visit to the Arab Republic of Egypt, scheduled for 9 to 11 February, during which one of the principal issues of discussions with the Egyptian officials is to be the further progress of the Middle East peace process.

During his visit to Latvia, the Swedish Foreign Minister will meet with President Valdis Zatlers of Latvia and also with Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis.

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