On 4 February 2022 in Riga, the annual informal expert consultations took place between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Latvia and Estonia on topics concerning the European Union, as well as regional and bilateral issues important for Latvia and Estonia. Under the co-chairmanship of the Director of the European Coordination Department at the Latvian Foreign Ministry, Jānis Bērziņš, and the Director General of the Department for European Department at the Estonian Foreign Ministry, Marika Linntam, the experts discussed current topics on EU agenda – the EU’s digital and climate policies, current developments related to migration, and the expected outcomes of the Conference on the Future of Europe.
The diplomats expressed satisfaction with successful bilateral cooperation and the intensive exchange of visits by senior officials. Latvian and Estonian experts were unanimous that the close contacts and coordination should be continued by cooperating both bilaterally and multilaterally, including with partners in the EU and NATO.
The experts then exchanged views on joint activities during Latvia’s chairmanship of the Baltic States’ cooperation formats this year, and on the priorities set for that period: strengthening of security and defence in the region; fighting hybrid threat and disinformation; modernisation of economy through advancing the green and digital transition, connectivity and development of regional infrastructure projects; as well as strengthening of a strategic and ambitious Eastern Partnership and support for civil society in Belarus.
Consultations on EU matters between the Latvian and Estonian Ministries of Foreign Affairs take place annually in Latvia or Estonia on a rotational basis.