On 22 May, President Edgars Rinkēvičs met with Ahmed bin Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of State for Economic Affairs and Trade at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade at the UAE Ministry of Economy, at the Riga Castle.
During the meeting, the parties discussed bilateral relations, economic cooperation, including Latvia's export promotion potential and investment attraction, cooperation between the European Union and the UAE, and current global security issues.
The President of Latvia highlighted Latvian companies' significant interest in the UAE market. "The United Arab Emirates represents Latvia's largest trading partners in the Gulf countries. There is a mutual interest in cooperation in a number of sectors, including the food and pharmaceutical industries, logistics, and information and communication technology. Furthermore, there is a potential for collaboration in the fields of innovation and science," said E. Rinkēvičs.
The President of Latvia expressed his gratitude to the UAE for its humanitarian assistance in Ukraine and for facilitating the exchange of Ukrainian prisoners of war and called for active participation in the Ukraine Peace Initiative. At the same time, President Rinkēvičs underscored the UAE's significant role and contributions in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
