On 28 March 2023, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Andris Pelšs, and the Permanent Secretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iceland, Martin Eyjólfsson, held political consultations addressing topics of current importance in bilateral cooperation and international politics.
Andris Pelšs praised the traditionally close relations between Latvia and Iceland, in view of the historic role of Iceland in recognising Latvia’s independence in 1991. The State Secretary also informed his counterpart about the upcoming inauguration of a Latvian Honorary Consulate in Reykjavik in May this year. The Supreme Court Attorney Karl Georg Sigurbjörnsson has been appointed the Latvian Honorary Consul in Iceland.
Iceland expressed appreciation of cooperation between the two countries in the strengthening of a rules-based international order.
The State Secretary thanked Iceland for hosting the fourth summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe and welcomed the possibility of taking over the chairmanship of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers from Iceland this coming 17 May.
During the consultations, the officials discussed foreign and security policy issues of pressing concern, including Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the support given by the two countries to Ukraine, relations with China, and the state of affairs in the Arctic. The diplomats highlighted the increasing cooperation in the Baltic and Nordic NB8 format. They were of one mind about the potential for bilateral cooperation existing in the field of information and technologies.
The consultations took place the day before the meeting of the NB8 State Secretaries to be held in Riga on 29 March.