On 1 April the Cabinet of Ministers approved the participation of a Foreign Ministry expert in EULEX Kosovo, the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo. The expert is Inga Sarsune, Second Secretary of the Security Policy Department at the Ministry. Her mission to Kosovo, as a Situation Centre Operations Officer, is planned to take place from 1 June 2008 to 1 July 2009.
From 2 to 4 April Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins will participate in the NATO Summit Meeting of Heads of State and Government, which will take place in Bucharest, Romania.
On 3 April at the NATO summit in Bucharest, member states unanimously emphasised that Ukraine and Georgia will become NATO member states.
Foreign Ministry State Secretary Normans Penke, on 4 April, met with Secretary General Matti Maasikas of the Estonian Foreign Ministry and State Secretary Deividas Matulionis of the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry.
Foreign Ministry State Secretary Normans Penke, on 7 April, met with the Ambassador of New Zealand, Philip Wallace Griffiths, who was on his farewell visit.
Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins, on 7 April, met with representatives of the American Jewish Committee.
Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins will visit Germany on 9 April.
Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins will address members of the Latvian parliament on 10 April at a Saeima plenary session that will include the review of the draft law On the Treaty of Lisbon, which amends the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty establishing the European Community.
On 8 April 2008, the Working Group on Economic Issues of the Latvia-Russia Intergovernmental Commission convened for their second session in Riga. At the session boths sides discussed matters related to economic co-operation, including the further expansion of the legal framework for co-operation, for example the draft agreements on avoidance of double taxation and tax evasion, on the promotion and protection of investments, and on co-operation in the tourism sector.
At their meeting on 9 April Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins and German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed satisfaction with the dynamic nature of bilateral relations between the two countries, and were of one opinion that regional co-operation should be reinforced.
Deputy Speaker of the Latvian Saeima Karina Petersone – the candidate nominated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - was on 9 April elected to the Advisory Council of the Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF). The decision to confirm the proposed candidate was made by the Board of Governors of the Foundation.
Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins on 14 April attended a working lunch, which was held by Vojislav Suc, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Slovenia, for ambassadors of EU member states.
The Foreign Ministry and the association Latvian Platform for Development Co-operation (LAPAS) are opening a competition for journalists entitled Publication of the Year on Development Co-operation.
This week, unofficial consolidated versions of the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union together with the annexes and protocols thereto, including the amendments introduced by the Treaty of Lisbon, were published in Latvian on the Internet site of the European Council. As a result of the consolidation, amendments made by the Lisbon Treaty have been included in the EU core treaties and reflected in a single document.
Foreign Ministry Under-Secretary of State Edgars Skuja and Latvian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mihails Popovs are participating in the conference Basic Principles for the Settlement of the Conflicts in the Territories of the GUAM States, which is devoted to resolving the current conflicts in the territories of the GUAM states: Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova.
The Foreign Ministry is organising a study visit on 16 and 17 April for representatives of the Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration.
The travelling project Balticness, organised by the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), will be visiting Berlin on 22 April. The project includes a jazz concert and discussions on a theme relating to regional co-operation.
At a meeting scheduled for 21 April, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins and Knut Vollebaek, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, will talk about social integration in Latvia.
In a telephone conversation between Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins and David Bakradze, the Foreign Minister of Georgia, on 18 April, the Ministers discussed a decision recently adopted by Russia to provide support for Georgia's separatist regions Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
At a meeting on April 21 with Knut Vollebaek, the High Commissioner on National Minorities of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins emphasised that Latvia has adopted legislation on naturalisation and citizen's rights which complies with international standards.
The Cabinet of Ministers on 21 April approved draft regulations Regulations Regarding Performance of Notary Functions in Diplomatic and Consular Representations of the Republic of Latvia.
On 19 April in Washington, U.S., Eriks Zunda, Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, received an award of the U.S.-Baltic Foundation underscoring Mr. Zunda's contribution to the development of public administration in Latvia.
Einars Semanis, the Latvian representative at the Board of Governors of the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), from 22 to 24 April is taking part in the ASEF annual working meeting in Bali, Indonesia. The meeting is held in order to analyse the foundation's achievements over the last year and to approve new projects.
The touring project Balticness, which is being organised by the Latvian presidency in the Council of the Baltic Sates (CBSS), will visit Warsaw on 24 April.
Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins on 24 April will meet with Elmar Mammadyarov, the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, in order to discuss the development of bilateral relations between Latvia and Azerbaijan, including collaboration between sectoral institutions.
On 20 April a Latvian Honorary Consulate was officially opened in Bandung, Indonesia.
From 22 to 25 April Foreign Ministry State Secretary Normans Penke is in Washington, where he is taking part in the visit by President Valdis Zatlers to the U.S.
Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins on 24 April will meet with Peter Semneby, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus, to talk about EU co-operation with the South Caucasian states of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, and also about Latvia's activities in this region.
Latvia is closely monitoring the events related to Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the separatist regions of Georgia.
On 24 April, the Saeima passed in the third reading the Law on International Assistance, which had been drawn up by the Foreign Ministry.
On 25 April Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins will meet with Ceslovas Jursenas, the Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas, to discuss bilateral co-operation, an EU strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, and issues related to the work of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS).
On 24 April, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs starts the accreditation of media representatives for the 7th Summit of the Council of the Baltic Sea States Heads of Government, gathering together prime ministers of 11 countries (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden) to deliberate on the region's future and on the reform of the Council of the Baltic Sea States.
On 24 April Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins, at a meeting with Elmar Mammadyarov, the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, discussed the intensification of Latvia-Azerbaijan political dialogue and strengthening of the legal framework and economic co-operation.
The seminar, organized by TAIEX (Technical Assistance and Information Exchange unit) in co-operation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia, aims to discuss practical aspects of the implementation of the Treaty of Lisbon. High level experts, lawyers, journalists and social partners will take part in the discussions.
Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins believes that Latvia should considerably increase financial aid earmarked for development co-operation, in order to reach the level of 0.17% of the GDP by 2010, as set out in the conclusions of the General Affairs and External Relations Council. The Foreign Minister expressed this opinion at the conference "The contribution of the European Neighbourhood Policy to the development of eastern neighbours".
On 25 April, the Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins, during a meeting with Ceslovas Jursenas, Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas, discussed regional co-operation, topical EU issues and bilateral relations, including the Latvia - Lithuania treaty on sea borders.
In response to the call by the European Commission (EC), Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins has sent a letter to Dalia Grybauskaite, the European Commissioner for Financial Programming and Budget, expressing the position of the Government of Latvia on the issue.
On 29 April Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins will take part in a meeting of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) in Luxembourg. The agenda of the meeting will include discussions on the current situation in Kosovo and Serbia in relation to the early parliamentary and municipal elections in Serbia, which are due to take place on 11 May.
On 29 April at 4pm, in the Foreign Ministry Entrance Hall, the Ministry's State Secretary Normans Penke will launch a touring exhibition of the National Library of Latvia The History of the State of Latvia in Cartoons.
Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins, on 29 April, took part in a meeting of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC).
On Wednesday, 30 April, the consultations of the e-PINE (Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe) are underway, with the participation of Foreign Ministry Political Directors from Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and the U.S.. The Latvian delegation at the consultations is being led by Peteris Ustubs, the Foreign Ministry Political Director. The U.S. is represented by Daniel Fried and Kurt Volker.
Press and Information Division
3, Krisjana Valdemara iela, Riga
Phone: (371) 6 7016 272
Fax: (371) 6 7222 335
E-mail: media@mfa.gov.lv
Website: www.mfa.gov.lv
Photostream: http://www.flickr.com/latvianmfa
Twitter: http://twitter.com/arlietas
