“The joint declaration on the establishment of a strategic partnership between Latvia and Azerbaijan, as well as cooperation agreements on education, transport, and construction supervision signed today will provide new opportunities for deepening bilateral relations. The Business Forum taking place during the visit and the meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee in June allow us to hope for new projects of economic cooperation and the growth of mutual trade,” stated the President of Latvia.
Raimonds Vējonis emphasised that Latvia thanks to its favourable geographic location intended to strengthen cooperation with Azerbaijan in the field of transport, especially within the framework of the North-South Transport Corridor, and to promote the export of Latvian food products to Azerbaijan. “We see the potential for developing cooperation in the fields of education and science, IT, pharmacy, and construction. We are very interested in establishing regular air traffic between Latvia and Azerbaijan, which will promote business contacts and will be a good support for the tourism sector,” said the President of Latvia.
During the meeting, the parties discussed a wide range of issues, including the issues of human rights and democracy in Azerbaijan. “Respect for the principles of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law is significant for the successful development of any country. Latvia called for tackling those issues. At the same time, I wish to point out that this is also important for promoting relations between the European Union and Azerbaijan,” outlined Raimonds Vējonis.
The President of Latvia acknowledged that Azerbaijan was an important partner of the EU in the field of energy and transport, and he appreciated the role of Azerbaijan in the project of the Southern Gas Corridor, which is an essential contribution to the diversification of energy supplies to the European Union. Latvia supports the early conclusion of an EU-Azerbaijan cooperation agreement. In its turn, the forthcoming EU Eastern Partnership Summit in November will be a good opportunity to find mutually beneficial directions for further cooperation.