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Bilateral cooperation between Latvia and Cyprus in security and economy, including in the areas of new technologies and the use of innovative solutions in the maritime sector and port development, support for Ukraine and containment of Russia, transatlantic relations, the security situation in Europe, and Cyprus’ upcoming presidency in the EU Council in the first half of 2026 – these were the main items discussed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braže, during her working visit to Nicosia, Cyprus, on 10 and 11 December with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, Constantinos Kombos.
The Ministers welcomed the year-round direct flights between Riga and Larnaca, which promote tourism opportunities and expand cooperation between the two countries. Baiba Braže pointed out that more than 1000 Latvian nationals currently live in Cyprus.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braže:
“I highly value that Cyprus has made support for Ukraine as one of the priorities of its Presidency in the EU Council. We discussed Latvia’s bilateral assistance to Ukraine, my recent visit to Ukraine – Kyiv and Chernihiv – and the need for all EU countries to provide maximum assistance to Ukraine’s self-defence.
During Cyprus’ Presidency in the EU Council, we will work together to strengthen EU security and defence, on negotiations for the EU’s multiannual budget, on EU enlargement issues, and on closer cooperation and coordination on sanctions policy issues, particularly in relation to the “shadow fleet” and its ecosystem.
We share a common understanding – Russia is a long-term threat to the whole of Europe. I thank Cyprus for its constructive position in the EU and other multilateral forums in the context of Russian aggression, including its efforts to improve the system for applying sanctions at national level. The sanctions are working and are having a negative impact on the Russian economy.
EU Member States are facing increasingly aggressive and intense hybrid threats from Russia. As EU external border countries, we agree on the need to strengthen the EU’s external border and to effectively combat illegal migration and the instrumentalisation of migration. Similarly, EU democracies must strengthen their resilience to Russian disinformation and interference in internal processes, particularly in elections – both Cyprus and Latvia will hold parliamentary elections in 2026. In this regard, we can learn valuable lessons from Moldova’s experience.”
Baiba Braže and Constantinos Kombos discussed EU-US relations, emphasising the need to deepen transatlantic ties, as well as the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ working visit to the US this week. The Ministers also discussed the situation in the Middle East, Latvia’s priorities in the UN Security Council in 2026 and 2027, and Cyprus’s upcoming accession to the Schengen area.