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

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The Minister expressed Latvia’s support for the Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan and asserted that Latvia will continue providing assistance to strengthening the Afghan National Security Forces. Edgars Rinkevics noted that it is of vital importance to ensure sustainable progress for the region’s security; however, the achievements of Afghanistan itself will play a major role. At the same time, closer cooperation should be pursued with the countries in the region to ensure long-lasting stability, said the Minister.

The Foreign Minister took part in the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission to review the security situation in Ukraine and the course of implementation of the Minsk agreement.

Referring to the developments in Ukraine, Edgars Rinkevics expressed concerns about the fulfilment of the Minsk agreement and voiced support for Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty. The Minister emphasised that Latvia does not recognise the illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea. Ukraine must be able to freely decide on its political orientation. The Riga Summit will send a clear message of support for Ukraine’s reform aspirations, the Latvian Foreign Minister said. He also confirmed that Latvia will continue to support the work of the OSCE mission in Ukraine, provide humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainian people and aid the Ukrainian Government in carrying out reforms.