On 21-22 August 2022, the Special Representative of the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Palestine, Jurijs Pogrebņaks, visited Ramallah, where he met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Palestine, Riyadh Al-Maliki, to officially present a letter from the Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edgars Rinkēvičs, on the appointment to the post of Special Representative.
During his visit to Palestine, Jurijs Pogrebņaks met with the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Mahmoud Abu Mwais, the Minister of National Economy, Khalid Al-Esseily, and the senior executives of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ramallah and Al-Bireh.
In meetings with Palestinian officials, the Special Representative discussed the ways to strengthen the bilateral political and economic dialogue between Latvia and Palestine, current issues in the EU-Palestine cooperation, and security situation in the Middle East and the Baltic region. The officials were in agreement that regardless of various restrictions, there are opportunities for expanding cooperation in economy, education and culture. Palestinian officials were especially interested in promoting cooperation in higher education and student exchange, as well as expanding business contacts.
In a discussion on developments in the Middle East and the peace process, Jurijs Pogrebņaks reaffirmed Latvia’s support for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in line with internationally recognised parameters. The Special Representative also informed the Palestinian side about Latvia’s position concerning the issue of Ukraine and he underlined Russia’s responsibility for the consequences of the war in Ukraine, notably in the field of food and energy resource security.
A Special Representative of Latvian to Palestine is being appointed since 2014, with Riga as the place of residence. The Representative’s duties involve the promotion of bilateral contacts between Latvia and Palestine and engagement in addressing matters related to the Middle East peace process. The Mission of Palestine also covering Latvia is located in Helsinki, Finland.