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Today, following the 1997 Luxembourg EU Council decisions, the European Commission published the Regular Progress Report on each candidate country as well as the Enlargement Strategy Paper. Latvia notes with satisfaction that considerable progress has been achieved in fulfilment of all the Copenhagen criteria. This is already for the third time that Latvia's reform process has sustained positive track record. This shows our strong European determination. Report displays positive assessment on the integration of society, political support of the government for public administration reform, macroeconomic stability, implementation of structural reforms, and alignment of company law. Good progress has been achieved in such areas as internal market, environment, border control, and financial control. In the area of institution building, particularly positive assessment was on banking sector, competition policy and state aid. Further steps will be necessary in all areas, including free movement of persons, telecommunications, social policy and employment, as well as regional policy. Positive assessment of Latvia's progress arises from sustainable and consistent reforms. The Regular Report will be carefully analysed by the Latvian authorities and used in the further reform process, in order to be among the first to complete the accession negotiations. Latvia welcomes the Enlargement Strategy Paper proposed by the Commission, that invites to take up the negotiations on substantial issues raised by the requests for transition measures, as well as proposes a "catch-up" possibility. EU Helsinki Council decisions allowed each candidate country to proceed in the accession negotiations on its own individual speed and in accordance with its own individual merits. Latvia is convinced that the assessment of candidate countries allows avoiding any grouping. Latvia is of the opinion that Commission's evaluation of the progress achieved by Latvia allows opening the remaining negotiation chapters during the Swedish EU presidency. Till the end of November, the Latvian government will approve all the negotiation positions. These positions provide solutions for the problematic issues pointed out in the Regular Report. Thus the accession negotiations are an important means for reform implementation in areas such as agriculture, regional policy and others. (End of text)
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