On 30 May 2024, Andris Pelšs, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, participated in the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union (EU) in its Trade configuration in Brussels. The Council Regulation amending the EU's Common Customs Tariff was approved, which increases customs tariffs on cereals, oilseeds and derived products of Russian and Belarusian origin.
The Regulation will apply from 1 July. At the same time, Latvia and six other EU Member States – the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland and Sweden – issued a joint statement welcoming the approval of this framework, as well as calling on the European Commission to continue making proposals to restrict trade with Russia and Belarus.
“Given the critical situation in Ukraine, we cannot stop there, and the EU must continue to reduce Russia's revenues and its ability to finance hostilities in Ukraine,” Andris Pelšs stressed.
In the run-up to the European elections and the formation of a new European Commission, ministers were invited to share their thoughts on the future of EU trade policy and its global competitiveness. The State Secretary underlined the importance of an open, resolute and forward-looking trade policy, noting that it should boost Europe's competitiveness and promote innovation, economic growth and access to green technologies.
Andris Pelšs noted that “Given the geopolitical situation and current challenges, including the increase of protectionism and the decline of the EU's economic weight in the global economy, the EU can no longer rely solely on the attractiveness of the single market”.
The discussion on EU-Africa trade relations concluded that maintaining a permanent cooperation with the natural resource-rich African continent is crucial to foster the resilience of production and supply chains, as well as the green and digital transitions. Latvia supports the European Commission's commitment to strengthening mutual cooperation and ensure mutual economic growth by improving the investment policy and developing a more attractive alternative in contrast to the offers of other third countries.
Ministers also looked back at the WTO 13th Ministerial Conference to agree on the next steps in the WTO’s work, in particular, in terms of the organisation’s reform.
Background Information
The EU Foreign Affairs Council in its Trade configuration addresses issues concerning the EU's trade relations with third countries, including trade in goods and services, the commercial side of intellectual property rights, aspects of international public procurement and foreign direct investment rules. Meetings are chaired by the minister responsible for trade of the country holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU.
The 13th WTO Ministerial Conference took place from 26 February to 1 March 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
