In the village of Kaelase in Pärnu County, Estonia, on 12 June 2020, the fifth informal seminar of the Latvian and Estonian foreign ministries was held along with a bilateral meeting between the Latvian Foreign Minister, Edgars Rinkēvičs, and, his colleague, Urmas Reinsalu, the Estonian Foreign Minister. Top diplomats from both sides talked at the seminar about developments in regional and international affairs.
The two foreign ministers underlined the fruitful cooperation on addressing the consequences of the COVID-19 crisis and stressed the need to continue the close coordination considering the next steps at various levels, bilateral, at the EU and in the broader international context.
At the seminar, participants turned their attention to questions connected with COVID-19 and its effect on transatlantic relations; security in the Baltic Sea region; Russia; China; multilateral issues at international organisations; and matters on the EU agenda. During the discussion, it was pointed out that without a doubt COVID-19 has impacted the course of international processes and induced countries to adapt as rapidly as possible to the new circumstances. At the same time, it was emphasised that the COVID-19 pandemic has been a lesson on how to fight better and more effectively against similar crises that may emerge in the future.
Such seminars are arranged annually in either Latvia or Estonia, on a principle of rotation, and this was the fifth time that they've taken place.