On 28 February 2024 in Abu Dhabi, the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Reinis Brusbārdis, met with the Assistant Minister for Economic and Trade Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, Saeed Al Hajeri.
During the meeting, the officials affirmed their willingness to strengthen bilateral relations between Latvia and the UAE while devoting particular attention to the broadening of economic ties. The discussion addressed economic cooperation between the EU and the UAE and its potential development. Reinis Brusbārdis and Saeed Al Hajeri also exchanged views on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East.
The Parliamentary Secretary noted the growing interest of Latvian business people in cooperation with the UAE, underlining the export potential for Latvian goods and services to the UAE. In particular, he highlighted pharmaceuticals, biomedicine, smart farming, as well as food production.
The diplomats emphasized the positive impact of direct flights between Riga and Dubai on the expansion of business contacts and promotion of tourism links. Given that the airlines carefully assess the economic feasibility of opening new routes, the expansion of direct flights is a positive demonstration of existing cooperation and an indicator of potential for further cooperation.
The Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Reinis Brusbārdis, is on a visit in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, where he is taking part in the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) from 26 through to 29 February 2024.