Baltic States – CIS, EU – Baltic States, Latvia, Legislation, Ukraine

Edgars Rinkevics and Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Berlin, 26.01.2015. Photo: flickr.com

During the meeting, questions of the Eastern Partnership were also discussed in preparation for the May 2015 Riga Summit in the context of EU-Russia relations. The priorities for Latvia’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union was also a subject of conversation.

The Ministers agreed that the attack on the civilians of Mariupol had caused a drastic deterioration of the situation in the region and the fragile peace, and did not contribute in the least to the fulfillment of the Minsk Agreements. Foreign Minister Rinkevics expressed his conviction that talks ought to continue in the Normandy format since only with a political resolution between all sides in the conflict could there be a genuine improvement of the regional security situation.

If – in the near future – the fulfillment of the Minsk Agreements is not re-started, then the upcoming extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels that is taking place on 29 January, on Latvia’s initiative, Ministers may opt to institute new sanctions against the Russian Federation. Edgars Rinkevics emphasised that Latvia, as the country now presiding over the Council of the European Union, would like to preserve a common EU position with regard to Russia. A return to dialogue as well as any changes in the sanctions regime depends on Russia’s moves in Ukraine and on the complete implementation of the Minsk Agreements.

With regard to recent Parliamentary elections in Greece, Edgars Rinkevics said that he certainly respects the choice made by the people of Greece and at the same time the new Greek government must respect the commitments already made to international lenders. Greece’s economy will only be improving if Greece is fulfilling its international commitments and making real structural reforms, and this can also be seen in Latvia’s experience of reform.

Continuing on his visit in Berlin, Foreign Minister Rinkevics also made a presentation to the Parliamentary Group of the European Union in the Bundestag, familiarising the Members of Parliament with priorities put forward by the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Other topics at the Bundestag included the upcoming informal meeting of EU Ministers of Justice and the Interior in Riga on the combat of terrorism and on questions related to the protection of personal data. The Members of Parliament were also interested in the relations between Belarus and the European Union and about the question of visa liberalisation in particular, and the tense security situation in the east of Ukraine. The status and content of the TTIP agreement was also discussed at this event.