On Thursday 8 February, Prime Minister Māris Kučinskis met with Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus in Minsk.
The focus of the meeting was on the issues of bilateral and regional cooperation, which are of particular relevance for both countries, as well as the development of relations between the European Union (EU) and Belarus.
M.Kučinkis emphasized the need to strengthen economic relations between the two countries, especially in the field of transport and logistics.
In the course of negotiations, the upcoming IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, which will be jointly organized by Latvia and Belarus in 2021, was also mentioned.
Within the framework of the visit, M. Kučinskis met with Mikhail Myasnikovich, Chairman of the National Assembly of Belarus. The officials discussed the cooperation between the two countries, as well as relations between the European Union (EU) and Belarus.
During the meeting, M. Kučinskis stressed the need to develop relations between the two countries, with emphasis on economic cooperation.
"There are specific areas where Latvia and Belarus can successfully co-operate - transport and logistics, tourism, information and communication technologies," said the Prime Minister.
He also highlighted the prospect of cooperation in the fields of education and science. Students from Belarus are already studying at the universities in Latvia. At the same time, the Prime Minister and the Chairman of the National Assembly of Belarus agreed on the need to work towards more intense cooperation. It was emphasized that there is potential for closer cooperation in the field of research and culture. The officials stressed the need for closer cooperation between Belarus and the Baltic region, especially at the regional level. The existing cooperation between Belarus and various regions of Latvia was positively assessed. The Belarusian side highly appreciated the favourable treatment of the Belarusian diaspora by the state of Latvia.
As regards the EU-Belarus relations, both parties agreed on the need for successful co-operation between the countries. Both parties shared the understanding that work should be finalized on the EU-Belarus Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreement, which stipulates the readmission of illegally arriving people.
Kaspars Gerhards, Minister for Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Uldis Augulis, Minister for Transport, as well as heads of local governments and a large delegation of entrepreneurs are also paying a visit to Belarus together with the Prime Minister.
Andrejs Vaivars
Press Secretary to the Prime Minister
Mob.: 29228678
E-mail: Andrejs.Vaivars@mk.gov.lv