EU – Baltic States, Forum, Latvia

The Eastern Partnership initiative includes six countries - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. The aim of the initiative is for the EU to have a structured dialogue with these countries to promote closer ties and economic and political integration with the EU.

The Foreign Ministry points out that by promoting closer ties between Eastern Partnership initiative countries and the EU, including the creation of a free-trade zone and implementing visa-free travel, Latvia will gain additional opportunities to develop economic, transportation and education links with these countries.

Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics points out that the letter received from van Rompuy can be seen as a testimony towards Latvia's ability to organize such a high-level meeting.

''We hope that during the upcoming Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius later this year, that an Association Agreement will be signed with Ukraine. We also hope that initial documents to begin the Association Agreement procedure with Armenia, Georgia and Moldova will also be signed. At the same time, Latvia will also hopes that closer relations between the EU and Azerbaijan will be established, as well as with Belarus,'' Rinkevics points out.

The organization of the Eastern Partnership Summit in Riga in 2015 will give the opportunity to evaluate the achievements in the partnership dialogue since the previous summit in Vilnius in 2013, as well as define new objectives.