Foreign Minister Aivis Ronis welcomes upcoming European Council decision on opening EU accession talks with Iceland
By admin at 30 June, 2010, 2:05 pm
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On 14 June, Foreign Minister Aivis Ronis participated in the meetings of the European Union Foreign Affairs Council and General Affairs Council that took place in Luxembourg.
An important issue on the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council meeting was the current situation in Kyrgyzstan where violence and the number of casualties is growing. EU foreign ministers urged to find a peaceful resolution for the conflict and to stop the violence.
Foreign minister discussions also focused on sanctions on Iran, accompanying a United Nations Security Council resolution which was adopted on 9 June regarding EU restrictions against Iran. It is planned that a declaration on this resolution will be passed at the level of heads of state and government during the European Council of 17 June. Latvian Foreign Minister voiced support for the UN Security Council decision and stressed the necessity to agree on a clear and united EU position at the European Council.
Other significant issues at the EU Foreign Affairs Council were inquiry in the attack on Gaza flotilla and the current developments in the Gaza strip and the Middle East. EU foreign ministers urged to conduct an independent international inquiry and condemned the violence, by adopting joint conclusions of the Foreign Affairs Council.
Foreign minister discussions also included such matters as Western Balkans, EU response ability regarding the Haiti crisis, fight against piracy in Somalia, as well as the Corfu Process prior to the informal meeting of OSCE foreign ministers in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on 16-17 July.
At the General Affairs Council, concerning issues on the agenda of the European Council of 17 June, Foreign Minister Ronis voiced support for opening EU accession talks with Iceland and welcomed the upcoming European Council decision on the accession of Estonia to the Eurozone.
Also in Luxembourg, the Moldovan Foreign Minister held a meeting on relations between Moldova and the EU, where Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat and Foreign Minister Iurie Leanca provided information on Moldovan progress in the process of European integration. Latvian Foreign Minister expressed support for the government of Moldova in the process of reform implementation and congratulated Moldovan officials with the commencement on 15 June of EU-Moldovan dialogue on possibilities to introduce visa-free travel regime. Minister Ronis noted that EU-Moldovan dialogue on the introduction of visa-free travel regime and negotiations on the conclusion of the Association Agreement are significant elements in strengthening EU-Moldovan co-operation.
Prior to the meetings of the EU Foreign Affairs Council and General Affairs Council, the Latvian Foreign Minister also participated in the traditional meeting of Baltic and Nordic state foreign ministers, exchanging views with colleagues on the most important issues on the EU agenda. As part of the meeting, foreign ministers discussed preparations for the European Council of 17 June, as well as the establishment of the EU External Action Service and the proposals by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton on reviewing the location of EU Special Representatives in different regions of the world.
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