On 3 May the new Foreign Minister Aivis Ronis is in Estonia, on his first official visit abroad. Foreign Minister Ronis will have introduction meetings with the President of the Republic of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, and Foreign Minister Urmas Paet.
On 5 May in Brussels, a meeting is to take place between Foreign Minister Aivis Ronis and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
To mark the 60th anniversary of the idea of a united Europe, events dedicated to the European Union will be held all over Latvia during the European Week, from 5 to 9 May.
On 6 May, Foreign Minister Aivis Ronis met with General Duncan J. McNabb, Commander of the United States Transportation Command. The meeting took place to discuss the co-operation between Latvia and the USA in the area of non-military transit.
On 3 May, as part of the introductory visit to the Republic of Estonia, Foreign Minister Aivis Ronis met with the President of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, and Foreign Minister Urmas Paet.
On 5 May, Foreign Minister Aivis Ronis met with NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen. During the meeting, the Foreign Minister confirmed that notwithstanding the changes in the composition of the Government, Latvia's foreign policy, including security policy, will remain consistent and is largely supported by the Saeima.
On 5 May, Foreign Minister Aivis Ronis met with NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen. During the meeting, the Foreign Minister confirmed that notwithstanding the changes in the composition of the Government, Latvia's foreign policy, including security policy, will remain consistent and is largely supported by the Saeima.
On 10 May, Foreign Minister Aivis Ronis will take part in the meeting of the European Union's General Affairs Council and the External Relations Council.
To mark the 60th anniversary of the idea of a united Europe, the European Union Garden Festival was held on 9 May in Riga, in Vērmanes Garden.
On 10 May, Foreign Minister Aivis Ronis took part in the meeting of the European Union's External Relations Council in Brussels, which had among its agenda points the preparations for the EU-Russia summit to be held on 31-May and 1 June, in Rostov-on-Don.
On 12 May, Foreign Minister Aivis Ronis will go on a working visit to Lithuania. As part of the visit, meetings have been scheduled with the Speaker of the Lithuanian Parliament, Irena Degutienė, Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius, and Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis.
On 12 May, Foreign Minister Aivis Ronis as part of his working visit to Lithuania met with the Speaker of the Lithuanian Parliament, Irena Degutiene, Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius, and Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis.
Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis and Foreign Minister Aivis Ronis, on behalf of the Government of Latvia, convey deepest condolences to the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Jan Peter Balkenende, and Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen in relation to the tragic death of the Dutch citizens in a plane crash on 12 May in the airport of Tripoli, the capital of Libya.
On 13 May, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aivis Ronis met with the Ambassador of the Russian Federation, Alexander Veshnyakov, who had arrived to present a letter of congratulations from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation to Mr Ronis in relation to his coming into office.
Between 12-14 May, the Foreign Ministry is holding a seminar Shaping Our Common Interests for young diplomats from the Baltic and Nordic countries (NB-8). The purpose of the event is to expand knowledge on the Baltic-Nordic partnership, to highlight common interests within the region, and to strengthen co-operation.
During the week from 17 to 21 May, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Aivis Ronis is to meet with foreign ambassadors to Latvia: the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China, Cheng Wenju; the Ambassador of Belarus, Aleksandr Gerasimenko; and the Ambassador of Kazakhstan, Galymzhan Koishybayev.
Today, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) delivered its judgment in the case "Kononov v. Latvia", in which it recognized with 14 votes "for" and 3 votes "against" that by convicting Vasiliy Kononov in 2004 for the war crime committed in 1944 by means of brutal murder of Mazie Bati civilian population, Latvia has not violated the prohibition of retroactive application of criminal law enshrined in Article 7 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia strongly condemns attempts by representatives of the Russian Federation to exercise pressure on the European Court of Human Rights. A number of such attempts have been observed during proceedings in the case "Kononov v. Latvia" at the time when judges were deliberating on the judgment. Campaign organized in the mass media, which culminated by disclosing the vote by the judges prior to the delivery of the judgment, and threatening remarks made by representatives of the Russian Federation should be treated as a violation of the secrecy of court deliberations and undermining the Court's independence.
Notwithstanding the fact that the pressure exercised by representatives of the Russian Federation on the European Court of Human Rights in the case "Kononov v. Latvia" did not succeed, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia remain concerned about the dangerous trend. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia believe that any attempts to exercise pressure on the European Court of Human Rights should be condemned at the level of the Council of Europe, as well as, in cooperation with the European Court of Human Rights, a discussion should take place on measures that would further strengthen independence of the European Court of Human Rights. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia believes that the European Court of Human Rights should also revise its current working methods to better ensure the secrecy of court deliberations.
From 11 to 14 May, the Political Director of the Foreign Ministry, Andris Razāns was on a working visit to the U.S., and met senior officials in the U.S. department of state, including Assistant Secretary of State, William Barnes, Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, Special Envoy for Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, Victoria Nuland, as well as Deputy Assistant Secretaries of State Daniel Russel and Pamela Quanrud.
In connection with NATO Parliamentary Assembly spring session in Riga, border control will be temporarily reintroduced to persons entering Latvia from the 24th May up to the 1st of June. In principle, it is dealt with the situation similar to the one before joining the Schengen Convention in 2007. It is important to carry along one's travel document that is required now as well.
In view of the approaching tourism season, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs invites persons who require entry visas to Latvia to apply at the diplomatic and consular missions of the Republic of Latvia well in advance for submission of their visa application documents. Due to reductions in the foreign service staff and funding, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would like the applicants to be aware that there might be queues at the Latvian diplomatic and consular missions, in the CIS region in particular, and the visa processing time will be longer during the summer season.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia has given due consideration to the circumstances of the sinking of the Republic of Korea naval vessel Cheonan on 26 March 2010. A special institution - the Joint Civilian-Military Investigation Group has carried out investigation into the causes for the catastrophe and has just released its report. The conclusion expressed in the document gives rise to serious concern. Latvia condemns the attack on the naval vessel of the Republic of Korea.
Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis and Foreign Minister Aivis Ronis, on behalf of the Government of Latvia, convey deepest condolences to the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, Manmohan Singh, and Foreign Minister Shri S.M. Krishna, on a fatal crash of an Air India passenger plane in Mangalore.
On 24 May, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Aivis Ronis will take part in a meeting of foreign ministers of the European Union and Eastern Partnership countries in Sopot, Poland.
On 23 May, on the sidelines of the European Union and Eastern Partnership Foreign Ministers Informal Meeting in Sopot, Poland, the Foreign Minister of Latvia Aivis Ronis had a bilateral meeting with the Foreign Minister of Poland, Radoslaw Sikorski.
On 24 May, the Foreign Ministry Secretary of State Andris Teikmanis, at the beginning of his working visit to the Federative Republic of Brazil, will meet with the Vice Minister for External Relations of Brazil, Antonio Patriota; Vice Minister at Brazilian Presidential Special Office for Port Development, Augusto Wagner; Vice Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade of Brazil, Ivan Ramalho.
On 24 May, at the meeting of the European Union and Eastern Partnership Foreign Ministers in Sopot, Poland, the Foreign Minister of Latvia, Aivis Ronis met with the foreign Minister of Moldova Iurie Leanca and the Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Kostyantyn Gryshchenko.
On 25 May, the Cabinet of Ministers is to consider the draft Regulations, developed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, On the Agreement Between the Government of the Republic of Latvia and the Government of the Russian Federation on the simplification of cross-border travel for border residents of the Republic of Latvia and the Russian Federation.
On 24 May, the European Union and Eastern Partnership Foreign Ministers Informal Meeting in Sopot, Poland, the Foreign Minister of Latvia Aivis Ronis expressed support to further development of the EU Eastern Partnership Initiative and noted that the initiative allows reinforcing reform processes in the countries, neighbours to the European Union.
On 25 May, the Cabinet of Ministers is to consider the draft Regulations, developed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, On the Agreement Between the Government of the Republic of Latvia and the Government of the Russian Federation on the simplification of cross-border travel for border residents of the Republic of Latvia and the Russian Federation.
On 28-29 May in Riga, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs holds one of its current training sessions with the aim achieving the uniform application of procedures for issuing visas according to Schenhen requirements at all diplomatic and consular missions of Latvia.
On 27 May at 3 p.m. in the Foreign Ministry, entrepreneurs representing the sector of mechanical engineering and metalworking will meet in a round table discussion with the ambassadors of Latvia.
Since the beginning of 1990s, when the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) cooperation framework was established, the outlook of the Baltic Sea region as well as the international geopolitical situation has significantly changed.
On 28 May, Foreign Minister Aivis Ronis addressed the participants of the 15th Conference of the Baltic Forum. This year the event is titled Global Politics, Economy and Security after the Crisis: New Challenges and Aims.
On 9 June at 10 a.m., the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosts the National Meeting on Implementation of the EUSBSR (the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, further – the Strategy).
The visit by Secretary of State Teikmanis and Latvian business delegation to Brazil has been concluded.
On 28 May, during his visit in Brazil, Secretary of State Teikmanis took part in the Third Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations in Rio de Janeiro, where high level representatives from more than 120 member countries reviewed achievements since the last year's forum in Istanbul, focusing on regional strategies and on future challenges for the organisation.
