On 6 February Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins met with the Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko to discuss bilateral relations and economic contacts between the countries as well as Ukraine's NATO-related and eurointegration aspirations. The meeting took place during the 46th Munich Security Conference.
The ministers shared the opinion that the relations between Latvia and Ukraine are stable, but those relations should be more active at various levels, including continued efforts by the Latvian-Ukrainian Intergovernmental Commission as well as political consultations between both the Foreign Ministries.
With regard to economic partnerships, Minister Riekstins noted that the mutual co-operation potential of the two countries has not been fully utilised. "Both Latvia and Ukraine are facing economic challenges and therefore it is in their interests to work actively for a broader co-operation. Likewise, Latvia's entrepreneurs are interested in the possibilities for developing their business in Ukraine," indicated Mr Riekstins.
While speaking about the course of Ukraine's eurointegration, the Latvian Foreign Minister expressed hope that negotiations between Ukraine and the European Union will advance, and expressed support to this process. "A visa waiver between Ukraine and the EU, and the establishment of the Ukrainian-EU free trade zone are vital complementary elements to Ukraine's euro-aspirations. We expect Ukraine to continue with the ongoing reforms so that the conclusion of a Free trade Agreement would proceed smoothly," Minister Riekstins noted.
Given that the meeting took place on the eve of the presidential elections in Ukraine, the ministers discussed the pre-election atmosphere in the country. Foreign Minister Riekstins expressed confidence that the election will be held in compliance with democratic standards and that the Latvian-Ukrainian political dialogue will continue on a positive note.
Mr Petro Poroshenko has held the position of the Foreign Minister of Ukraine since October 2009, and this was the first bilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of both the countries.
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