Foreign Minister Aivis Ronis: Latvia and Belarus are important economic partners [23 Aug 2010]

On 23 August, the Foreign Minister Aivis Ronis had a meeting with the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Belarus Sergey Martinov who is on a working visit in Latvia. The ministers discussed current matters of bilateral co-operation, including the conclusion of new agreements. Particular attention was paid to dynamising the Latvian-Belarusian economic relations, including the areas such as transit and transportation, also the transportation of strategic goods, industrial production, engineering and pharmacy in particular, as well as construction and other services. The ministers emphasised that the upcoming visit by the Prime Minister of Belarus to Latvia is to be considered a clear signal for enhancing economic co-operation. In the field of higher education, Foreign Ministers Ronis and Martinov committed themselves to take forward, as fast as possible, preparations for signing an intergovernmental agreement on setting up the Riga Business School's MBA programme at the Belarusian State University.

When discussing the current development in the relations between the EU and Belarus, Foreign Minister Aivis Ronis urged the Belarusian side to continue on the course of the initiated reforms and to make an active use of the opportunities offered by the EU Eastern partnership, thus expanding the dialogue with the EU.

During the visit, the foreign Ministers of Latvia and Belarus signed The Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Latvia and the Government of the Republic of Belarus on facilitating mutual journeys of border residents of the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Belarus which provides procedures for issuing multiple entry free border crossing permits to border residents, including the residents of Daugavpils.