Baltic States – CIS, EU – Baltic States, Latvia, Legislation

At the moment, work is in progress to define general directions within the context of the bloc's economic development and competitiveness, digital market and information society matters, as well as the Baltic Sea region's strategy and the Eastern Partnership, which will be among the priority directions in foreign affairs.

Latvia's priorities will be defined more precisely in the fourth quarter of 2013, after consulting with state administration and the non-governmental sector, said Dombrovskis. The priorities will most likely be defined by the beginning of next year. The main directions have already been marked and discussions are underway, added the prime minister.

Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics (Reform Party) in turn emphasized that Latvia's presidency of the Council of the European Union will begin in the second half of 2014 with the so-called presidency trio – with Italy and Luxembourg. All priorities connected with the EU's external dimension have already been defined. They include the Eastern Partnership – closer cooperation with Belarus, Ukraine, the Caucasian countries and Moldova, as well as the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan after 2014.

Therefore Latvia must take into account that many matters will be inherited from previous presidencies, added Rinkevics, mentioning the review of the UN Millennium Development Goals, various directives and regulations adopted in connection with the crisis, as examples.

As reported, Latvia will assume the presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2015.