On 26 May 2022, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, welcomed the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence of Ireland, Simon Coveney, to Riga to hold an exchange of views on the bilateral relations between Latvia and Ireland, security situation in the region, and providing support for Ukraine.
The Ministers underlined the close bilateral relations between the two countries, their similar understanding of topics on the European Union’s agenda, and successful cooperation in the United Nations and other international organisations.
Referring to the security situation in the region, Foreign Minister Rinkēvičs underlined the need for continuing to provide all possible political, financial, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. The Ministers were unanimous that, together with like-minded partners, further decisions need be taken on isolation of Russia, and the implementation of sanctions should be further coordinated.
During the conversation, the Ministers noted that bilateral cooperation between Latvia and Ireland need to be promoted, including in the tourism sector. The large Latvian community in Ireland has an important role to play in the strengthening of relations between the two countries.