"The Latvian Foreign Ministry's Political Director Eduards Stiprais made a detailed presentation of the priorities for Latvia’s EU Presidency at this discussion," the ministry said.
"Ambassador Andris Razāns stressed that it is important today to be discussing relations with the Eastern Partnership countries in preparation for the Eastern Partnership Summit which will be held in Riga next May," the statement added.
While preparing for Latvia’s six-month stint chairing EU meetings, the Embassy of Latvia in Washington, together with the Atlantic Council, is organising an international conference in order to exchange views on EU and US relations with Eastern Partnership countries in Europe’s neighbourhood that are neither members of NATO nor the EU.
The conference, which is scheduled for next January, is intended to "facilitate deliverables and decision-making at the Riga Eastern Partnership Summit."
The Washington meeting was just part of a busy week for US-Latvian relations with US National Guard Commander General Frank J Grass arriving Thursday for a two-day working visit during which he will meet with Defense Minister Raymond Vejonis and Latvian National Guard Commander Brigadier General Leonid Kalnins to discuss military cooperation between the two countries as well as international and regional security issues.
General Grass will also visit Ādaži military base, where he will meet with US troops currently stationed in Latvia as part of operation "Atlantic Resolve".
