'Latvia is ready' for EU Presidency, claims Foreign Minister

Take note – story published 9 years ago

In words that hopefully will not come back to haunt him at any point during the next seven months, Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs said Friday that "practically all preparations" were in place for Latvia's stint with the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union during the first six months of 2015.

Presenting the plan of action to diplomats from EU member states which should ensure the right people get to the right meetings at the right time, Rinkēvičs outlined the priorities for Latvia’s presidency, a Foreign Ministry statement said.

“Our Presidency will be dynamic and result-oriented”, said the Minister. “Latvians are practical hardworking people, and we shall make every effort to ensure that this is a successful semester for everybody.”

The priorities could be summarised as: “Competitive Europe, Digital Europe, and Engaged Europe” the statement said, while describing May's showcase Riga Summit as "an important milestone at which we will be analysing progress and identifying new strategic steps, while pursuing the principles of inclusiveness and differentiation in relations with the EU’s Eastern partners." 

Though Latvia assumes the presidency on January 1, 2015 - taking over from Italy - the full program of events will only be published on January 2, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

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