On 18 February 2022, while in Germany, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. The officials met on the sidelines of the 58th Munich Security Conference to discuss latest developments in the political dialogue between Latvia and the Saudi Arabia, business contacts, and prospects for strengthening cooperation between the EU and the Gulf countries.
Referring to expanding of the legal framework between Latvia and Saudi Arabia, Edgars Rinkēvičs confirmed that Latvia was prepared to sign an intergovernmental agreement on economic cooperation in the near future. The agreement would be the second instrument in that field, complementing the double taxation convention that entered into effect on 1 June 2021.
With the aim of discussing the promotion of economic contacts, representatives from Latvian companies together with the Minister of Economics are prepared to visit Saudi Arabia this year, Edgars Rinkēvičs noted. We want to expand the cooperation of our companies with Saudi partners in sectors with high value added: ICT and digital solutions, smart technologies, smart cities, pharmaceuticals, and medical tourism, the Latvian Foreign Minister said.
The Ministers expressed the hope that sometime soon after the epidemiological situation improves it would be possible to resume talks on political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the two countries to enhance various opportunities for cooperation.
The two Foreign Ministers discussed recent developments in the Persian Gulf region. Edgars Rinkēvičs was confident of the substantial role of Saudi Arabia as the lead country in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in the efforts of stabilisation of the region and building a new security architecture. Latvia continues supporting the resumption of partnership and further strengthening the relationship between the EU and Saudi Arabia.
We hope that the EU-GCC Joint Council ministerial meeting as part of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on 21 February will bring a new impetus to the development of relationship, the Latvian Foreign Minister noted. Both the officials were unanimous that the strengthening of the EU’s cooperation with the Gulf countries would contribute to the resolution of climate change problems, improving connectivity in Europe, and the fight against the pandemic.