Other events in Baltic States

Relations between Latvia and Finland have traditionally been close and constructive in various fields and levels, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics (New Unity) said today during a meeting with Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto, cites LETA/BNS. 

As LETA was told at the Foreign Ministry, the two ministers met in Riga in order to mark the centenary of signing the Treaty of Peace between Latvia and Russia, as well as to discuss bilateral relations between Latvia and Finland and matters of current importance in international foreign policy, including developments in Belarus.

During the meeting, the ministers noted that next year Latvia and Finland will be celebrating the centenary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. 

The foreign ministers commended the joint efforts made during the Covid-19 crisis and noted the need for closer EU-wide coordination.

Rinkevics said that although for the most part, member states were acting on their own at the beginning, the EU’s performance in restricting Covid-19 was generally positive. Close coordination and maximum transparency both at the regional and EU level is a vital condition for successfully dealing with the consequences of Covid-19, the Latvian minister said. 

"Therefore, the EU should continue moving in the direction of lifting restrictions so as to return to normal with regard to transport and the movement of persons, and in order to facilitate economic recovery," Rinkevics said.

Rinkevics and Haavisto discussed regional issues, the security environment in the region, relations with Russia and the recent presidential election in Belarus.

Rinkevics called on the Belarusian government and law enforcement authorities to respect the civil freedoms of Belarusian people and their right to freely express their political views. "The participants in protests who have been detained should be released immediately and the Belarusian authorities should refrain from the use of force against protesters," he said.