On 28 November 2023, the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Reinis Brusbārdis, was in Berlin on a working visit to attend the annual Berlin Foreign Policy Forum and meet with the Minister of State for Europe and Climate at the Federal Foreign Office, Anna Lührmann, and the European Policy Advisor to the Federal Chancellor, Undine Ruge.
The meetings with Anna Lührmann and Undine Ruge addressed current topics high on the European Union agenda: preparations for the European Council in December, the prospects of EU enlargement, the EU’s institutional reforms, as well as the upcoming report on the EU Multiannual Financial Framework. The officials agreed on the need for a European perspective to Ukraine and for launching accession negotiations, as well as on the importance of the EU’s support to Ukraine. During the meeting with the Minister of State for Europe and Climate, major attention was devoted to bilateral cooperation, highlighting cooperation prospects in the areas of green energy, the development of defence industries, and digitalisation.
The Berlin Foreign Policy Forum was established by the Körber Foundation in 2011 with the aim of bringing together high-ranking politicians, experts and media representatives for a discussion on international policy issues. Alongside the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the Israeli-Hamas conflict, this year’s forum focused heavily on the German foreign and security policy. In this context, the forum featured an in-depth discussion on the role of Germany in the security of the Baltic region with participation of politicians from the Baltic States and Germany, ministries, think tanks, and historians.