On Wednesday 9 October, Prime Minister Evika Siliņa met with António Costa, President-elect of the European Council who was paying an introductory visit to Latvia.
During the meeting, the two officials discussed Latvia's priorities in the European Union (EU), means to improve the decision-making process at the European Council and capacity to respond to various challenges.
"I am confident that we will be able to successfully work together with António Costa to tackle Europe's common challenges. Strong support for Ukraine, EU security and defence must remain on the European Council's agenda. Russia's continued aggression in Ukraine requires collective decisions on new sanctions against Russia, additional investment in defence and strengthening Europe's external borders. Latvia's priority is to boost competitiveness. A competitive Europe also means a competitive Latvia. To achieve this, efforts are required to reduce bureaucratic burden and improve the business environment at national and EU level," emphasized E. Siliņa.
António Costa will take office as the President of the European Council on 1 December this year, succeeding the current President, Charles Michel.
