Minister Riekstins and the Director of Carnegie Moscow Centre exchange views on international policy [27 Jan 2009]

On 27 January, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins met with Dmitry Trenin, the Director of the Carnegie Moscow Centre and researcher of international politics, and discussed EU-Russia and NATO-Russia relations, as well as the dialogue between the U.S. and Russia after the change of administration in Washington.

Minister Riekstins and Dmitry Trenin exchanged opinions on current events in foreign policy, the prospects for the development of Russia's relations with the EU and with the new U.S. administration under President Barack Obama. The Foreign Minister and Dr Trenin rated as the priority issues in the world the stabilisation of the economic situation, the progress of the Middle East peace process, and energy security, especially in the context of the Ukraine-Russia gas supply conflict at the beginning of 2009.

Regarding Europe's eastern neighbouring countries the Latvian Foreign Minister and Dr Trenin also reviewed the prospects for the Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine and Georgia, as well as the internal political situation in these states. In the context of security policy issues, the initiative by the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev about a new security architecture for Europe was also discussed.

Dmitry Trenin is the Director of the Carnegie Moscow Centre and Senior Researcher of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. On 26 January, a book by Dr Trenin "Saprast Krieviju" (Getting Russia Right) was launched in Riga.

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