On November 30, 2021, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy Luigi Di Maio in Riga, during which the parties discussed bilateral relations, migration, the situation in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. this year The forthcoming Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels in December.
During the meeting, E. Rinkēvičs drew attention to the fact that this year marks the centenary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, as well as 30 years since the resumption of diplomatic relations. E. Rinkēvičs thanked for Italy’s significant contribution to Latvia’s security, participation in the NATO Battlegroup in Latvia and the NATO Baltic Air Patrol Mission, as well as Stratcom in the work of the Center.
Ministers discussed reform of the European asylum system. E. Rinkēvičs expressed his position on Latvia’s support for the further development of the Screening Regulation and the Eurodac Regulation, insofar as it does not affect the discussions on other elements. “It is necessary to follow the trends in all routes of migration flow. Latvia supports the development and implementation of Action Plans with priority countries of origin and transit of migrants. At the same time, the fight against migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings must be continued and the causes of migration must be tackled. We expect the European Commission’s proposals to adapt the legal framework of the European Union to the new challenges of migration, proposing concrete measures and appropriate funding, ”stressed E. Rinkēvičs.
During the conversation, the Latvian Foreign Minister expressed confidence that it was important to immediately approve the fifth round of sanctions against Belarus, including Belavia, and to review the European Union (EU) regulatory framework so that border guards in the Member States had the necessary rights and means to ensure the integrity and protection of the EU’s borders.
The interlocutors exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine. “The situation on the Russian-Ukrainian border must be seen in the context of Lukashenko’s hybrid attack on the EU’s borders, so the European Union and NATO must be prepared to respond appropriately to both Belarus and Ukraine. We believe that it is important for Ukraine to continue to receive strong support from the European Union and NATO, “said E. Rinkēvičs.
E. Rinkēvičs expressed the position that the forthcoming Eastern Partnership summit should confirm the strategic importance of this policy. Existing cooperation needs to be strengthened with Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, while maintaining the Eastern Partnership as a single platform and respecting the principles of differentiation and conditionality.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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