On 6 July 2021, the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, was in Latvia on a working visit. He met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edgars Rinkēvičs, and the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica. The partners in the talks were in agreement concerning the friendly and constructive dialogue in bilateral relations and the need to strengthen business contacts and cooperation in international organisations.
The meeting addressed the topics of current importance for the EU. Both parties welcomed the endorsement by the European Commission of the national recovery and resilience plans of Latvia and the Hellenic Republic. The importance was underlined of close coordination at EU level on matters related to COVID-19.
The officials stressed the need for promoting a quality and focused exchange of views on Europe’s future, putting the ideas and interests of EU citizens at the centre of the Conference on the Future of Europe.
In a discussion on the future of the Eastern Partnership, the Parliamentary Secretary underlined that its political significance must be reinforced and sustained. The Eastern Partnership countries should be offered a clear long-term perspective of their closer integration with the EU, she noted.
The diplomats agreed that there is further need for intensifying dialogue on the topics high on the EU and international agendas and for enhancing bilateral cooperation.
This year marks three decades since the restoration of diplomatic ties between Latvia and Greece, while in 2022 we shall celebrate the centenary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.