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The Ukrainian prime minister and parliament speaker are to visit Riga later this year, and Latvian foreign minister's official visit to Ukraine will be organized at a time suitable for both sides, writes LETA.

Rinkevics stressed at a joint press conference with Gryshchenko that "the relations between both countries in political as well as economic areas are very good." Gryshchenko in turn pointed out the importance of the political and economic cooperation between Latvia and Ukraine, adding that particular attention should be paid to cooperation in railroad transport. "Latvian businessmen understand our situation better, and they have better language skills," Gryshchenko said. In the joint communique, the ministers emphasize the interest to expand cooperation in the further development of the container train "Zubr" project.

Gryshchenko added that cooperation in culture and education should also be expanded.

The relations between Kiev and Brussels were discussed at length during Rinkevics' meeting with Gryshchenko.

Rinkevics said he was pleased that work on the European Union association agreement with Ukraine was finalized during the EU-Ukraine summit last December. "We believe that this will be a very important step in Ukraine's progress toward the EU, to the further relations between the EU and Ukraine in political and economic areas," he said. Gryshchenko stressed that Latvia had played an important role in arriving at the agreement.

At the same time, Rinkevics said, expressing the EU and Latvia's opinion, that further progress in the relations with Ukraine would be impossible if certain steps were not taken regarding human rights and rule of law, which concerned "certain trials in Ukraine". Replying to a reporter's question about the former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who is currently serving a prison sentence, Gryshchenko said that his country was going through various reforms, including judiciary reforms, but these reforms concerned the entire Ukrainian nation, not just some select individuals.

Overall, today's meeting was described as "positive, open and conservative," which, in Rinkevics' words, would give further impetus to the development of the Latvian-Ukrainian as well as EU-Ukrainian relations.

As reported, Gryshchenko is on a working visit to Latvia today. The Ukrainian foreign minister is to meet top officials of Latvia and attend the reopening ceremony at the renovated Riga Ukrainian High School.

Gryshchenko last visited Latvia on December 15, 2010. He has been serving as Ukraine's foreign minister since March 11, 2010.