Education and Science, EU – Baltic States, Financial Services, Funds, Latvia

LETA was told at Karins' office that the EPP chairman started the meeting with Karins by congratulating him on appointment as Latvia's prime minister, stressing the role of personality in modern politics.

The prime minister thanked Weber and noted that the European project is highly important to Latvia and that the European Union's (EU) support has been essential in improving the quality of people's life.

It is important to invest EU funding in education and science to boost Latvia's competitiveness. This is an essential precondition of growth both in Latvia and the entire EU, said Karins.

The conversation between Karins and Weber dealt with current EU affairs, including possible outcomes of the UK's forthcoming withdrawal from the bloc and solutions for maintaining good relations with the UK both on the EU and bilateral level. The officials also discussed the EU's multiannual budget for 2021-2027.

At the end of the meeting, Karins invited Weber to the next Riga Conference, which the Latvian capital will host in October.

As reported, Weber is visiting Latvia today. The EPP chairman’s visit is expected to focus on security matters, including the strengthening of the European Union’s external borders, cybersecurity and countering fake news, with is especially important in the run-up to the European Parliament elections.