Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins and Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet emphasise opportunities for co-operation between diplomatic services

On 18 February, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins met with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Urmas Paet, who had arrived on an official visit to Latvia.

During the meeting, the ministers reviewed current developments in bilateral relations between Latvia and Estonia, emphasising the traditionally well-developed dialogue. While speaking about the expansion of economic co-operation, Minister Maris Riekstins noted that Estonia is a significant and important partner to Latvia, both in import and export as well as in the attraction of mutual investments.

With regard to internal political processes in Latvia, Minister Riekstins noted Estonia's solidarity in the face of economic challenges. Minister Paet, in his turn, informed about the measures to be taken by Estonia for the stabilisation of the economic situation, including the contraction of the national budget.

The foreign ministers of Latvia and Estonia exchanged opinions on the co-operation between the countries at both regional and international level. Ministers Riekstins and Paet shared the opinion that under the current economic situation, opportunities for closer co-operation abroad should be considered, for instance, mutual support in  consular matters. Minister Riekstins informed that at present Latvia is also representing Estonia in the issuance of visas in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, drawing attention to the possibility of expanding this co-operation.

Ministers Riekstins and Paet reviewed prospects for the establishment of joint embassies of both countries, employing Latvian and Estonian diplomats. Minister Riekstins mentioned as one of the possibilities the Middle East region, where Latvia has an embassy in Egypt's capital, Cairo.. Minister Riekstins noted that experts from foreign ministries of Latvia and Estonia were to hold additional consultations on this issue.

During the discussion, the parties focused on the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. Mr Riekstins stressed that the emerging strategy would have a significant role in the facilitation of sustainable development and competitiveness of the Baltic Sea Region.

The ministers also discussed the issues related to energy, with particular focus on the Baltic energy market interconnection plan, the aim of which is to offer solutions to the problem of energy separateness in the region. Minister Riekstins underscored that for Latvia the priority is the establishment of a common Baltic energy market.

Ministers Riekstins and Paet exchanged opinions on the relations of the countries with Russia, both within a bilateral format and within the framework of the European Union and NATO, as well as on the contribution by both countries to the stabilisation of the situation in Afghanistan.

As part of the meeting, Ministers Riekstins and Paet signed a Joint Communiqué on the establishment of the Translators Award of the Foreign Ministries of Latvia and Estonia. The Translators Award will be presented for high quality translations, not only of literary works but also of political, linguistic, popular scientific, historical, sociological texts, of memoirs and other types of works, with the aim of highlighting the significance of proficiency in the Latvian and Estonian languages as well as stimulating the work of young translators from Estonian into Latvian and from Latvian into Estonian.

Minister Paet also invited the Latvian Foreign Minister to come to Estonia on an official visit.

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