On 27 November, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins will join his colleagues at the 15th meeting of the Baltic Council in Vilnius, Lithuania.
The agenda of the meeting includes evaluating the work accomplished by the Lithuanian Presidency in the field of trilateral co-operation in 2009, as well as identifying priority areas for co-operation in 2010, when Latvia assumes the chairmanship of the Baltic Council of Ministers.
Latvia has set as next year's top priority the stabilisation of the economic situation in the Baltic region, its growth and an enhanced competitiveness. The Prime Ministers' meeting of the Baltic Council of Ministers on 5-6 November in Vilnius achieved an agreement on the Baltic states co-operation and concerted action in the field of economy and finance, as well as the implementation of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.
Latvia has also highlighted security policy as a vital issue in trilateral co-operation both when harmonising the positions by the Baltic states in the development of the new NATO Strategic concept and in energy and environmental security issues.
Due to the fact that Latvia in 2010 will also be in charge of co-ordinating the Baltic-Nordic co-operation (NB8), one of the proposed priorities is the Baltic-Nordic strategic co-operation, expanding contacts to address regional and global issues.
The Baltic Council of Ministers was established in 1994 as and institution for co-operation between Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. The Baltic Assembly, established in 1991, is an institution for co-ordination of activities and mutual exchange of consultation between the parliaments of the three Baltic states. The Baltic Assembly convenes its sessions on annual basis.
In 2010, Latvia will take over duties from Lithuania and become the presiding state of the Baltic Council of Ministers and of the Baltic Assembly.
Source:isria.com
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