on Thursday the President Victor Yushchenko met today with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia Maris Riekstins, according to president's press office.
During the meeting sides discussed Ukrainian-Latvian bilateral relations, mainly trade and economic cooperation between the states. Yushchenko said that Ukraine is interested in further increase of trade with Latvia. There are perspectives of cooperation in energy and transit field as well.
Both sides mentioned positive pace of work on the new intergovernmental agreement on citizens movement between the two states with regard to Latvia’s joining Schengen Zone.
V. Yushchenko and M. Riekstins also discussed Ukraine’s NATO Membership Action Plan accession aspirations. The President expressed expectancies that Latvia would support them.
The President also thanked Latvian government for creating favorable conditions for the Ukrainian minority especially regarding education and cultural aspects. Yushchenko also said that he awaits the President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers to pay a visit to Ukraine in the first half of 2008 as well as Mr. V. Zatlers' possible participation in Kyiv Energy Summit.
From his part M. Riekstins said that relations with Ukraine are regarded in Latvia as one of the country’s foreign policy priorities; that is why Ukraine became one of the first states Latvia Foreign Minister visited after his appointment.From Ukrainian side Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Volodymyr Ohryzko also took part in the meeting.
