On 20 March 2023, the State Secretary of the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andris Pelšs, met with the non-resident Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to Latvia, Bernadette Klösch, and the non-resident Ambassador of Chile to Latvia, Tucapel Francisco Jiménez Fuentes, on their accreditation visits.
During his meeting with the Ambassador of Austria, Andris Pelšs welcomed the close and friendly relations between the two countries both bilaterally, at the European Union level and in international organisations. In view of the fact that the Austrian Ambassador does not reside in Latvia, the State Secretary expressed his hope for a full-time resident embassy resuming its work in the future.
The officials agreed that Latvia and Austria were united in a trustworthy partnership and potential for cooperation in the sectors of security and defence, science, energy, new technologies, and ITC. The Austrian Ambassador expressed her determination to promote the relations between Latvia and Austria during her tenure, especially their economic cooperation.
The State Secretary highlighted Austria’s support for Ukraine, as well as engagement in existing mechanisms to hold Russia accountable.
The State Secretary and the Ambassador of Chile agreed in their conversation that bilateral relations should be strengthened, including business cooperation, in particular in information and communication technologies. Andris Pelšs underlined that political consultations were an important instrument for expanding dialogue between Latvia and Chile. Given that the previous round took place in Santiago in 2018, State Secretary Pelšs invited his Chilean colleagues to political consultations in Riga.
Andris Pelšs commended Chile’s support for Ukraine in the United Nations format, emphasising that support for Ukraine should not weaken.
The Ambassador of Austria resides in Vienna, Austria, and he Ambassador of Chile, in Stockholm, Sweden.
The Ambassador’s accreditation ceremony with the President of Latvia, Egils Levits, is planned for 21 March 2023.