Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins and Ambassador of Poland discuss strengthening regional co-operation [12 Mar 2010]

On 12 March, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins met with the forthcoming Ambassador of Poland to the Republic of Latvia, Jerzy Marek Nowakowski, in order to discuss bilateral relations between both countries and the current developments in the European Union.

When talking about the dynamics of Latvian-Polish relations, the parties looked at the issue of strengthening regional co-operation for the implementation of common interests of both countries. Minister Riekstins noted that the Baltic Sea Region was the fastest growing region in the European Union, but the Baltic Sea Strategy was a successful co-operation instrument which should be allocated adequate funding within the EU budget.  

Minister Riekstins and Ambassador Nowakowski exchanged opinions on the EU's institutional issues, including the formation of the External Action Service. The parties confirmed a mutual interest of Latvia and Poland in an effective EU institutional structure which the Lisbon Treaty was expected to introduce; they also agreed that co-operation was vital for achieving this goal. 

The meeting between Foreign Minister Riekstins and Ambassador Nowakowski took place as part of the Ambassador's accreditation visits. 

Photographs of the meeting: http://www.flickr.com/photos/latvianmfa/

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