Baltic States – CIS, EU – Baltic States, Legislation, Russia

While Russia has turned away from Europe, Europe is still trying to preserve institutional framework to maintain bilateral relations. However, Markkula believes that both sides have to cooperate in order to eliminate international terrorism and solve other recent problems.

He also said that there has to be an active communication with Russian residents via culture, science, and education.

Nevertheless, the EU must remain careful and use every opportunity to maintain open dialogue in order to prevent any further crises in relations with Russia, Markkula said. He believes that unity between European countries is very important in order to defy intimidation from the East.

Markkula also said he had a high opinion of Latvia's Presidency of the Council of the EU, indicating that Latvians had been enthusiastic, determined, and focused from the very beginning of the Presidency.

On March 17, the Latvian Embassy in Russia in cooperation with the Russian Institute of International Affairs (Rosssiiskii sovet po mezhdunarodnym delam) organized a seminar "Russia and the European Union development perspective in the context of Latvian Presidency."