EU – Baltic States, Good for Business, Latvia, Legislation, Markets and Companies

During the meeting, the Under-Secretary of State for European Affairs at the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Solveiga Silkalna, and the Secretary General of the Foreign Affairs Department of Flanders, Koen Verlaeckt, signed a Program for Cooperation between Latvia and Flanders for 2018-2020.

In their discussion on cooperation, representatives from Latvia and Flanders noted in particular the contacts established in culture and education, as well as in the transport and logistics sector, where since the launch of cooperation a number of projects have been carried out to develop Latvia’s ports and logistics infrastructure drawing on Flemish best practice in this field. Both sides stressed the need for also going ahead with experience exchange in the areas of circulation economy, energy, science, bio-economy, social and health care, and the development of public governance.

The Latvian-Flemish cooperation program covers sectors such as business, economic development and foreign trade, agriculture, fisheries and forestry, environment and energy, ports and logistics, education, science, research and innovation, culture and creative industries, welfare and health care, as well as public administration.

Latvia was also represented at the meeting by sectoral experts from the Ministries of Economy, Education and Science, Transport, Health, Environmental Protection and Regional Development, and Agriculture. The Honorary Consul of Latvia in Flanders, Christophe Van Mechelen was also attending the event.

The joint Latvia-Flanders Commission meets every two years alternately in Riga and Brussels, to fulfill the agreement signed between the Government of the Republic of Latvia and the Government of Flanders in 1996.