On Monday 19 December, Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš during the meeting with Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson discussed bilateral relations between Latvia and Sweden, possibilities to improve them, as well as Russia’s war in Ukraine and its impact on the security situation in Europe. K. Kariņš stressed that, given the geopolitical challenges, there is a need to strengthen the integration and cooperation of the Baltic-Nordic countries.
The Prime Minister pointed out during the conversation with the Swedish Prime Minister that the Russia’s war in Ukraine clearly demonstrates the need to strengthen the Baltic region’s security. Sweden’s accession to NATO will open-up new opportunities for cooperation between Latvia and Sweden, including in the context of collective security in the Baltic Sea region.
The Prime Minister and the Prime Minister of Sweden also discussed the promotion of economic cooperation between the two countries. Ensuring connectivity is a key strand of cooperation. The Prime Minister highlighted several possible directions of work – firstly, we are interested in new energy connections with Sweden. Secondly, the issue of transport infrastructure development between the two countries remains topical, i.e. the improvement of ferry traffic on existing routes, as well as the renewal of the Riga-Stockholm route. Another burning issue – the possibilities for cooperation in the military industry with great potential to open up a high-quality new chapter.
The visit of the Prime Minister Sweden to Latvia is the second bilateral foreign visit since taking office. U. Kristersson paid his first visit to Finland.
