During the United Nations 5th Conference on the Least Developed Countries in Doha, Qatar, the Parliamentary Secretary of the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Gunda Reire, met with representatives of Cape Verde, the Solomon Islands and the United States of America. The Parliamentary Secretary discussed the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on developing countries and the rules-based world order, as well as the current developments in bilateral cooperation.
In a meeting with the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Cape Verde, Miryan Djamila Sena Vieira, the Parliamentary Secretary thanked Cape Verde for its principles-based position in support of Ukraine. Gunda Reire noted the potential for bilateral cooperation between Latvia and Cape Verde, particularly on climate, seas and oceans, gender equality and digitalisation, and in promoting good governance. The officials from Latvia and Cabo Verde also discussed the security situation in the Sahel region.
The conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade of the Solomon Islands, Jeremiah Manele, focused on challenges posed by climate change to small island states, the rising sea level in particular. The Parliamentary Secretary highlighted the potential for cooperation in science and smart technologies to address the consequences of climate change. Gunda Reire underlined the possibilities of bilateral cooperation offered by the opening of the Embassy of Latvia in Australia and the appointment of a representative of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia in the region. The officials noted the impact of Russian aggression in Ukraine on global security, as well as agreeing on the need to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries in the international system.
Representatives of Cape Verde and the Solomon Islands both appreciated Latvia’s support for the strengthening of international law in the protection of the sovereignty of island countries, as well as Latvia’s involvement in the next action committee for the UN ministerial conference of Small Island Development States.
In a meeting with the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs at the United States Department of State, Michele Sison, the Parliamentary Secretary discussed support for least developed countries, in particular, to address the food crisis and climate challenges. There was also an exchange of views on the establishment of an international tribunal to deal with the Russian aggression in Ukraine, as well as on Latvia’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. Gunda Reire noted Latvia’s successful cooperation with the United States in providing support to the Eastern Partnership and Central Asian countries. The Parliamentary Secretary also said Latvia was prepared to work with the United States on helping the least developed countries, especially in areas such as good governance, gender equality, and digitalisation and smart technologies to address climate challenges and strengthen public administration.