Baltic States – CIS, Belarus, Cooperation, Latvia

International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Thursday, 28.03.2024, 16:10

Relations with Belarus should be further expanded

BC, Riga, 29.09.2016.Print version
From September 26 to 28, the Foreign Ministry’s State Secretary Andrejs Pildegovics made a working visit to Minsk, LETA was informed by the Foreign Ministry.

During his visit, Pildegovics met with Andrei Yevdochenko, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, to discuss bilateral economic cooperation, plans for exchange visits, and matters of current importance in EU-Belarus relations.


Pildegovics highlighted Latvia’s interest in continuing moving forward with projects in transport, transit and logistics, and invited Belarusian businesses to attend the “16+1” Business Forum in Riga this coming November, which will offer opportunities for new contacts.


In the course of political consultations with Deputy Foreign Minister Elena Kupchina, the state secretary confirmed Latvia’s interest in both bilateral and multilateral cooperation. Looking at EU-Belarus relations, Pildegovics welcomed the signing of the Mobility Partnership expected in October and noted the need for work to continue with the view on concluding the Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreements.


Deputy Foreign Minister Kupchina in turn emphasized that Belarus was interested in starting work on a new EU-Belarus cooperation agreement. Talks also covered cooperation in the Eastern Partnership format.


In the discussion, Pildegovics made note of restrictions on the exports of fish and cement and delays with issuing a certificate of pharmaceutical products. The state secretary also called for continued efforts on the strengthening of democracy and human rights standards, first of all, by imposing a moratorium on the death penalty.


In an exchange of views on the parliamentary elections in Belarus, Pildegovics offered to share Latvia’s experience in the organization of democratic elections.


The state secretary also invited the Belarusian side to a more active cooperation in the field of environmental protection and urged taking forward the development of a quadrilateral agreement on the protection of the Daugava river basin.

 






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