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International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Thursday, 28.03.2024, 13:19

MFA official calls for strengthening of economic ties between Latvia, Canada

BC, Riga, 23.11.2017.Print version
Economic ties between Latvia and Canada should be strengthened through providing tangible support for businesses, the Parliamentary Secretary of the Latvian Foreign Ministry, Zanda Kalnina-Lukasevica, said during her visit to Ottawa, Canada, informs LETA.

In Canada the parliamentary secretary met with Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade; Stephen Fuhr, Chairman of the House of Commons Standing Committee on National Defense, and his deputy James Bezan; and Jamie Schmale, Chair of the Canada-Nordic-Baltic Parliamentary Friendship Group, the Latvian Foreign Ministry said.

 

During the meeting at the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on National Defense, the issues of security cooperation between Latvia and Canada and regional security were discussed. Kalnina-Lukasevica offered thanks to Canada for its presence in Latvia as part of NATO troops. The Chairman of the Standing Committee on National Defense, Stephen Fuhr, confirmed that Canada will continue its presence in Latvia, leading NATO's multinational battlegroup for an indefinite time until security in the region is fully restored. The conversation also addressed the opportunity for holding up the successful defense cooperation as an example in order to strengthen trade and people-to-people contacts.

 

Topics related to the promotion of trade between Latvia and Canada were then discussed with Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade of Canada. Both parties agreed on close cooperation to provide tangible support for businesses in taking up the advantages offered by the European Union-Canada Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

 

"Similarly to Canada, small and medium-sized companies are also the basis of the economy of Latvia," Kalnina-Lukasevica said, adding that, due to this, special attention should be devoted to offering those companies maximum practical support in building mutual business links.

 

The Latvian Foreign Ministry's parliamentary secretary and the Chair of the Canada-Nordic-Baltic Parliamentary Friendship Group in the Canadian Parliament, Jamie Schmale, discussed regional security issues and cooperation between Latvia and Canada in the security sector, in view of Canada's contribution to the deployment of the NATO multinational battalion in Latvia. The meeting also addressed the further development of inter-parliamentary contacts and closer cooperation, especially on trade.

 

In order to acquaint herself with matters important for the Latvian community in Canada and inform Latvian Canadians about current developments in Latvia, the Parliamentary Secretary had a meeting with members of the Ottawa Latvian community, and Andris Kesteris, Chairman of the Board of the Latvian National Federation in Canada.






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