On 14 June 2022, the State Secretary of the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andris Pelšs, met with the Assistant Secretary for Europe at the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Jane Hardy.
During the conversation, the officials expressed satisfaction with the development of bilateral relations, which have seen the intensification of activities upon the opening of a Latvian embassy in Canberra, Australia. The diplomats exchanged views on the current geopolitical situation with a special focus on Russia’s war in Ukraine, Belarus, latest developments in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as climate change and energy security.
The State Secretary presented to the Australian official the issues of current importance to Latvia in the security context, as well as political support and humanitarian assistance rendered to Ukraine until now. Andris Pelšs thanked Australia for its firm position in condemning Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine and expressed hope that the present meeting would set off regular political consultations with Australia.
Jane Hardy for her part gave an outline of the new priorities of the Australian government for the Indo-Pacific region, recognising climate change as one of the most acute priorities for the small islands of Oceania. In a discussion on regional and global security challenges, the officials were unanimous about the need to strengthen the resilience of countries in the matters of cybersecurity and diversification of supply chains.
Jane Hardy is an experienced career diplomat specialising in security and disarmament issues. She has represented the Australian Government as Ambassador to Spain, Andorra, and Equatorial Guinea, as well as serving as Australian Consul-General in Honolulu and the government’s senior representative to the US Indo-Pacific Command.
Australia was one of the first to recognise Latvia’s independence on 27 August 1991 and to announce its decision to establish diplomatic relations with the Baltic States. The first resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Latvia to Australia, Marģers Krams, has been working in Canberra since 13 October 2021.