On 19 September 2013, during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Krišjānis Kariņš, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konaković.
In the conversation with the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Krišjānis Kariņš expressed deep concern over the outbreak of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh and underlined the need for an immediate ceasefire and return of the parties involved to the negotiating table. Both officials agreed that the resolution of the situation should be achieved urgently and only through peaceful means. The Ministers also discussed other challenges faced by the countries of the region in the current geopolitical situation, as Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine continues.
Krišjānis Kariņš assured the Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina of Latvia’s strong support to Bosnia and Herzegovina in its efforts of integration with the European Union. Bosnia and Herzegovina has increased the pace of reforms over recent months, demonstrating that being granted EU candidate status has served as conducive motivation for the implementation of reforms. Krišjānis Kariņš also pointed out in the conversation how important it was for countries seeking accession to the EU to also act in the same way on foreign policy issues.
The Latvian Foreign Minister welcomed the good relations between the two countries and expressed his readiness to further promote cooperation. The Foreign Ministers exchanged views on current developments in the Western Balkans region and the security situation in Europe, as well as opportunities for cooperation in international organisations.
Krišjānis Kariņš briefed his counterparts about Latvia running as a candidate in the 2025 elections to the UN Security Council for the term of 2026-2027.
