From 26 to 28 October 2022, the Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edgars Rinkēvičs, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Argentina, Santiago Cafiero, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, and the Director General for American Regional Organizations and Mechanisms at the Secretariat of Foreign Relations of Mexico, Efraín Guadarrama Pérez.
The meetings took place in the margins of the Ministerial Meeting of the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and they focused on bilateral relations and cooperation in international organisations.
In a conversation with the Foreign Minister of Argentina, Edgars Rinkēvičs ranked Argentina among the like-minded partners with whom Latvia would like to expand relations bilaterally, in the EU-CELAC format, and in international organisations. “In the current geopolitical situation, it is of vital importance to cooperate with like-minded countries. We welcome the bilateral agreement on cooperation in culture signed between our two countries, while also seeing potential for the strengthening of contacts in education and business. We also invite the Argentine side to sign an agreement on air transport between Latvia and Argentina,” the Foreign Minister said.
Talking with the Foreign Minister of Cuba, Edgars Rinkēvičs expressed satisfaction with the first political consultations held a month ago in Havana: “We are prepared to work together to advance cooperation in the areas identified in the consultations – technologies to mitigate climate change, tourism, higher education, and culture.” Latvia is also interested in signing an agreement on air transport between Latvia and Cuba.
During a meeting with the Mexican diplomat, the Foreign Minister expressed support for the modernisation of the EU-Mexico Global Agreement as soon as possible, which would enable the EU to strengthen its relationship with Mexico and help ensure the stability of supply chains. Edgars Rinkēvičs also underlined that Latvia was keen to intensify the political dialogue, and he invited the Mexican side to Riga for political consultations. At the same time, the Foreign Minister urged the Ministries of Transport of Latvia and Argentina to finalise talks on an intergovernmental agreement on air transport.
In an exchange of views on cooperation in international organisations, Edgars Rinkēvičs reminded his partners that Latvia was a candidate for the 2025 elections to the United Nations Security Council and called for their support.
As Russia’s hostilities in Ukraine were discussed, the Foreign Minister underlined to Argentine, Cuban and Mexican officials that the international community must stand united against the attempts to undermine the universally accepted norms and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of an independent state. “Latvia, together with its partners in international organisations, will maintain its stand against Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and will support mechanisms for holding Russia accountable so as to protect and strengthen a rules-based international order. We call for your support to the respective initiatives,” Edgars Rinkēvičs.