On 16 May 2022, the State Secretary of the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andris Pelšs, hosted accreditation visits from the non-resident Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Brazil to Latvia, Maria Luisa Escorel De Moraes, and the non-resident Ambassador of the Republic of Ecuador to Latvia, Verónica Bustamante Ponce.
During the conversation, the Ambassador of Brazil highlighted the potential for trade, especially in the military and pharmaceutical sectors, and opportunities for cooperation in culture and education. The honorary consuls of both countries and the sizeable Latvian community in Brazil, the largest in South America, have a major role to play in promoting cooperation.
The Ambassador of Ecuador noted that a favourable trade regime between Latvia and Ecuador was enabled by the current EU-Ecuador Trade Agreement. The Ambassador called on Latvia to support a visa-free travel for Ecuadorian citizens to the countries of the Schengen Area, which would facilitate tourism and people-to-people contacts.
The officials exchanged views on developments in Ukraine. The State Secretary underlined in particular Latvia’s position concerning the unprovoked and unjustified military aggression of Russia against Ukraine. He called for jointly turning against Russia’s brutal actions in the United Nations system, because those actions undermine the existing international norms and can also prompt violations of international law in other regions of the world.
The Ambassador of Brazil resides in Stockholm, and the Ambassador of Ecuador, in Berlin.
The accreditation of the Ambassadors with the President of Latvia, Egils Levits, has been scheduled for 17 May 2022.